So You Really Want to Know Something or Someone

Today people want things quickly. Instagram, Twitter are just symptoms of our need to know and understand things with speed. I am not sure it’s always right or possible to do things so fast. An enjoyable meal can’t be a drive-through at McDonald’s or Taco Bell; establishing a relationship with someone doesn’t take minutes - it takes lots and lots of time and, in many cases and especially if it’s marriage and parenting, work. The same is true when you read the Bible, study Scripture, and want to find an enlightened way (notice that I didn’t say answer) that will guide you through whatever difficulty or question you might have. Revelation takes place subtly. You need to ponder the words, even struggle with them, come back to them and re-think them, and suddenly insight seeps through and a light bulb goes off in your mind. It’s sort of like what Billy Collins describes in his poem “Introduction to Poetry”. So, if you want to be more spiritual, live more deeply, and appreciate the gifts, the loves, the presence of others, slow down and treasure the wonders around you.

Introduction to PoetryI ask them to take a poemand hold it up to the light like a color slideor press an ear against its hive.I say drop a mouse into a poemand watch him probe his way out, or walk inside the poem's roomand feel the walls for a light switch. I want them to waterskiacross the surface of a poemwaving at the author's name on the shore. But all they want to dois tie the poem to a chair with ropeand torture a confession out of it. They begin beating it with a hoseto find out what it really means.

Billy Collins