Girl Beth
Marc Christensen • May 1, 2018
Here is a new photo from Profound Living contributor Marc Christensen
Why I Chose This Photo For The Profound Photo, Profound Picture Series
By Marc Christensen
I climb into this picture because I imagine what stories that old boat could tell - of rough seas, of drunken sailors, of some good catches and some returns to port with an empty hold. I also wonder as it sits lonely against the beautiful backdrop of Loch Long, near Dornie, Scotland, whether it will ever be repaired and sail again or is this its final forlorn resting place, slowly deteriorating until, like all of us, nature claims our "hulls." And who was "Girl Beth" for which this this little beauty was named - a lost love, a wife, a daughter...?
Earth Day is this week. As we consider the state of our world - and the ecology of both our material and spiritual environment - it makes sense to ask what our role is, has been, and is supposed to be in relationship to "our common home" (Pope Francis).
Here are some initial thoughts about elegance, nature, and depth; a poem about happiness; and even a haiku.
It takes just a second to break something. Restoring what was broken takes time.
Outcomes are not certain, though some are much more highly predictable than others.
Life is messy. We know that. But some people move through that mess with a surprising kind of grace.
“The poor in spirit are by no means poor-spirited. They are persons who see so much to be, so much to do, such limitless reaches to life and goodness that they are profoundly conscious of their insufficiency and incompleteness.” ~Rufus Jones, The Inner Life , p. 19
