Recently I introduced the newly published book of spiritual poetry, Rose Petals Floating Downstream by Anita Neilson ( https://anitaneilson.com/ )
I picked up the book in an in-between time today and opened to the poem below, “If Thine Eye be Single.” Here it is, accompanied by what it evoked from me.
If Thine Eye be Single
“The light of the body is the eye:
if therefore thine eye be single,
thy whole body shall be full of light.”
Matthew 6:22
Eyes twinkling
like headlamps dipping
o’er the brow of a hill;
silent messengers
through the mists of time.
Windows on the world
but also to the soul
if we look deeper.
Codeless truths blink
to those who seek
meaning en route.
An eternal clignoter
Clic, clic, clic.
If thine eye be single
a million stars
Will diffuse into one
and every twist and turn
a delight will be
on this path to eternity.
Anita Neilson
Response
The eye with which god
sees me is the same eye
with which I see god.
One seeing
knowing
loving.
My eye and god’s eye
are one.
Meister Eckhart
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
The light with which god
sees me is the same light
with which I see god.
One seeing
knowing
loving
One Light.
God’s light and my light
are one light.
rita h kowats
Spirituality Without Borders: Reflections on Spiritual Practice 
lovely
Blessings, Rev. Linda Roddis
Eastgate Congregational Church 15318 SE Newport Way Bellevue, WA 98006 425 746-2411
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This focus on light seems very appropriate for the season–I suppose in a variety of ways. A reflective writing group I am a part of focused yesterday on Paul Simon’s “Sounds of Silence” song–“Hello darkness, my old friend”, which reminded me of the time your blog also was on that song and you had the picture of tenement halls. Tenement halls also reminds me of the current homeless challenge here in Spokane. People are out in freezing weather. There aren’t even enough “tenement halls” for them. May we, the ones who can sleep in warmth, have the wisdom of light to figure out how to change that situation.
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Rita, thanks so much for sharing my poem and I loved your thoughts on it. Your kindness shines so brightly! Much love and blessings to you. Anita.
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Beautiful, thank you Anita and Rita
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Lovely article!
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