missinglink wrote:
It's that time of year again. The Christmas season causes many to remember old times. It certainly does in my case. Kahlil Girbans ethnic and religious background aided in giving him a unique view of life. The meaning of giving was a large part of that view. His Christian/Muslim upbringing is not unique. What is unique is how it impacted him and what he accomplished with it.
In the 60's Kahlil Gibran's book The Prophet was widely circulated. It was highly revered by young adults across the vast social divides of the time. A very dear young lady gifted the book to me and I must say the passage in spoken form I found at the link below has stuck over all these years. I've missed several years retracing it's meanings which made this years revisit somewhat special.
Thought I'd share. Tis the season.
Merry Christmas to all.
Review
In a distant, timeless place, a mysterious prophet walks the sands. At the moment of his departure, he wishes to offer the people gifts but possesses nothing. The people gather round, each asks a question of the heart, and the man's wisdom is his gift. It is Gibran's gift to us, as well, for Gibran's prophet is rivaled in his wisdom only by the founders of the world's great religions. On the most basic topics--marriage, children, friendship, work, pleasure--his words have a power and lucidity that in another era would surely have provoked the description "divinely inspired." Free of dogma, free of power structures and metaphysics, consider these poetic, moving aphorisms a 20th-century supplement to all sacred traditions--as millions of other readers already have.
From The Prophet. First published in 1923.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEHS6Bw_69o#t=104It's that time of year again. The Christmas season... (
show quote)
There once was a prophet of great renown,
who spoke words of wisdom in every town.
He spoke with eloquence on every subject far and wide:
of family, marriage, friendship, and work from morn till eventide.
He spoke most eruditely on love and with such heavenly bliss,
all proclaimed him "Divinely Inspired"! That no one could miss.
He declared all should be free from dogma, power structures, and metaphysics,
as what works best is to have a Christian and Muslim mix.
But alas, this prophet, as is with all bad and good, passed away; oh what a fate!
Then came he seeking entrance to the heavenly gate.
"Lord, Lord," said he, "Have I not spoken only of love and not of h**e?"
"And Lord, Lord, have not all my works gone above and beyond what man could have numbered?"
The Lord looked upon him with love and in sadness replied, "Yet, in sin, I still see you encumbered."
"You thought the mix of Christianity and Muslim would work for you,
Oh, know you not that could never do."
"For t's only the blood of my dearest Son that can ever make the foulest clean,
"Whiter than snow and purer than wool would you have ever been seen."
Then will the Lord of heaven command in all propriety,
"I never knew you. Leave me, you worker of iniquity!" (Matthew 7:22-23)