"...we have too often sacrificed love for progress."  – Gerald May, "The Awakened Heart"

I have been reading Gerry May's book at the gym. It is ideal gym reading.

I read a paragraph and then it takes a set of weight lifting to think/pray/meditate it over.

During the time I knew Gerry on CompuServe, I had never read any of his books. How I cheated myself!

I sure need the time between sets to let it all sink in. May is one of the deepest, most profound writers on the inner, spiritual life I have ever read.

I will be posting some quotes from "The Awakened Heart" in coming weeks. Here are a few to start:

"The greatest commandments are not obligations at all, but affirmations of grace."

"We are created by love, to live in love, for the sake of love."

"The only way to own and claim love as our identity is to fall in love with love itself, to feel affection for our longing, to value our yearning, treasure our wanting, embrace our incompleteness, be overwhelmed by the beauty of our need."

I am discovering that I have much to discover, that there is much I lack, and that the dissatisfaction of my soul may be one of the best things in my life.

"When I am weak, then I am strong."

Paul's affirmation of dependent poverty and faith were foundational to his power and influence.

We, who follow The Way, are a paradoxical and conflicted people, who, in the midst of paradox and conflict, possess the sweetest shalom of all.

In a contest between love and progress, I choose love.