The Wellspring of Love

Today Father Richard Rohr wrote a heartfelt letter to readers of his daily meditations. The letter was called ‘Some simple but urgent guidance to get us through these next months.’ He wrote that an important source of guidance for him are words written by Etty Hillesum (1914-1943), a young Jewish woman who suffered greatly in a concentration camp. She wrote:

“There is a really deep well inside me. And in it dwells God. Sometimes I am there, too.. And that is all we can manage these days and also all that really matters: that we safeguard that little piece of You, God, in ourselves.”

Reading these words reminded me of some words that I cherish, written by John O’Donohue in his book Anam Cara:

“You can search far and in hungry places for love. It is a great consolation to know that there is a wellspring of love within yourself. If you trust that this wellspring is there, you will then be able to invite it to awaken. The following exercise could help develop awareness of this capacity. When you have moments on your own or spaces in your time, just focus on the well at the root of your soul. Imagine that nourishing stream of belonging, ease, peace, and delight. Feel, with your visual imagination, the refreshing waters of that well gradually flowing up through the arid earth of the neglected side of your heart. It is helpful to imagine this particularly before you sleep. Then during the night you will be in a constant flow of enrichment and belonging. You will find that when you awake at dawn, there will be a lovely, quiet happiness in your spirit.” (pg 28 Anam Cara)

When I first read these words about 10 years ago, I did practise thinking of the wellspring just when I was falling asleep. I experienced that lovely, quiet happiness that John predicted would occur. I think I have pretty much internalized the knowledge of the wellspring of love and knowing it is there has always been utterly comforting, and even more so during these difficult days. I invite you to try the practice of focussing on the wellspring of love. I am hopeful you too will be encouraged, stabilized and comforted by connecting with it and by the sure knowledge and experience that it is, indeed, there!