Finding Inspiration

7 Mulk 162 B.E. - February 12-13, 2006 A.D.

Where do I find inspiration? I find inspiration in the world around me, in the sacred writing of all the religions of humanity, in my past and my present. I find inspiration in the way a cat watches out a window. I find inspiration in the way the neighbor’s bobtailed black and white tom walks across my back yard and stops to watch my cats in the screen in back porch. I find inspiration in the morning sun and in the sunset. I find inspiration walking through a hotel going to a restaurant to eat or to see a show. I find inspiration driving down the city street. I find inspiration in the dream I have at night and in the day dreams while looking out a window. I find inspiration in the way the wind blows through an olive or a stone pine tree. I find inspiration in the events of my childhood and in the morning news.

Where do I find inspiration? Last week I found inspiration in the Sunday Devotional service I attended. The music for that service came from Philip Glass’ Symphony #5, that was the first time I heard Mr. Glass’ music. Last week I found inspiration in the feast I attended at the Baha’i Center. During the spiritual portion slides of Mount Carmel were shown while the scriptures were being read and the music was playing. Last week I found inspiration walking the four or five blocks from the parking garage to the Justice Center on Clark. Last week I found inspiration in the prompts sent to my e-mail box by the writing groups I am a member of. Last week I found inspiration in the subject lines of spam e-mails. Last week I found inspiration in the posts of other members of my yahoo writing groups.

Where do I find inspiration? I found inspiration in the Sunday Devotional Service my mother and I held on the back porch. There were only two of us there, so the service consisted of reading and prayers without any music, but I found inspiration anyway. I found inspiration in a quote from the Bhagavad-Gita:

“ The sovereign soul
Of him who lives self-governed and at peace
Is centred in itself, taking alike
Pleasure and pain; heat, cold; glory and shame.”
(Bhagavadgita, translated by Sir Edwin Arnold, page 30).

I found inspiration in a quote from a prayer revealed by Baha’u’llah:

“AS MY TRIBULATIONS MULTIPLIED, so did My love for God and for His Cause increase, in such wise that all that befell Me from the hosts of the wayward was powerless to deter Me from My purpose…” (Call to Remembrance, page 235).