I had a revelation last night. I realized just what Descartes did when he reasoned “I think therefore I am.” The “I am” is all important; when you say “I am” you are saying you exist, you are real, you are aware of yourself. God names Himself to Moses in Exodus “I am” and God is telling Moses this is MY name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
Julian of Norwich expanded on this:
“I am he, the power and goodness of fatherhood; I am he , the wisdom and lovingness of motherhood; I am he, the light and grace which is all blessed love; I am he, the Trinity; I am he , the unity; I am he, the supreme goodness of every kind of thing; I am he who makes you to love; I am he who makes you to long; I am he, the endless fulfilling of all true desires.”
“I am”, there is great power in these two simple words. They were there at the beginning and will be there forever. Our existence, our being, is revealed in our own personal “I am.” We are created in the image of God. God is love. Patricia and I are one in God. I am who I am. I am in Pat; Pat is in me: We are one in God. We know the heart, soul and mind doing the looking and the loving from deep within us. We live in a world of love.
And yet there is Despair as in Pat’s poem;
Fragments: Despair
by Patricia A. Bow Nov 1982
The world turns, turns
into darkness.
All the bright cities
slide into shadow,
the sweet green fields
turn grey, leprous.
We perceive the light
only as it fades.
We listen for the children
after hearing of their murder.
Where are the ones who sleep their days
in silent, healing harmonies,
balm to our wounds?
Where are the ones who measure out
the poetry of secret prayer,
who link the shattered times
with perfect rhymes?
Where are the blessed?
All dead centuries ago?
Mother Theresa, have I gone blind,
or have the furies blown
your candle out?
And so, the world ends in grief, not with a bang but a whimper. The Big Bang is only for in the beginning. We are all Hollow Man waiting to be comforted, to be filled with the love of God and to rejoin our loved ones in Heaven.
Eric C. Bow 