Dear fellow pilgrim,
It is midweek already, and I am searching for words.
Something that might lift the weary soul.
Instead I found myself watching—
courageous women crying out their abuse at the hands of the powerful,
a president boasting he had ended seven wars in six months,
dictators posing together for a group photo.
What can one possibly say
when money and might seem to rule the day?
**
I turned off the news.
I walked into the garden.
The garden that always holds me when my mind spins.
I watched the first leaves tumble in the evening sun.
I picked daisies and leeks.
I made pesto and dinner for my family.
Still searching for words.
Perhaps this blessing must be a lament.
For when the world cannot hold its sorrows,
we cry to the One who holds the universe:
**
How long, O God?
How long until the powerful fall from their thrones?
How long until justice reaches the oppressed?
How long until wars cease
and children walk free?
How long until the people are heard
over the voice of the mighty?
How long until light overcomes the dark?
How long, O Lord, how long
must we walk this desert land?
How long must poison flow
from the mouths of rulers—
lies and destruction paving their way?
When will you hear the lament of women
who have been shunned and abused?
Of mothers searching for their babies in rubble?
Of children crying out for their fathers?
When, O Lord, will justice flow
and love reign?
—
Hush, my daughter, hush, my child.
Love is still reigning.
Justice is still flowing—
in the brave who speak truth to power,
in the people who hold hands instead of guns,
in the children who learn for tomorrow.
Hush, child of God.
Do not lose hope.
Let justice and love flow through you.
The oppressors’ gain is in vain.
Their souls are hollow; their towers will crumble.
They will never enter the garden of the innocent.
Hush, child of God.
Rise.
Do not be afraid.
—AF
Much love, Almut
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September 17 — St. Hildegard’s Day
We will gather for a virtual mini-retreat as a special thanks for our sustaining members.October 4 — Local Hildegard Retreat
I plan to offer a one-day retreat in MN (email me to get on the list).Starting Oct 6 — Moral Mondays
Monthly live meetings where we can talk about current issues and reflect on them in moral, psychological, and philosophical terms. These gatherings will be helped by our latest book Taking Moral Action and grounded in real-world examples. More than that, we hope they will become a protected space — a cloistered circle — where we can speak directly and unveiled, share our fears, concerns, and hopes, and take courage together to build a better future. A place to hold both our fears and our prayers for this world.The format will be simple: we’ll read a short news or opinion piece together, then have a free-flowing discussion of the moral issues it raises.
Moral Mondays also carry deep resonance: East German Monday evening prayer services grew into demonstrations that helped bring down the Berlin Wall, and Rev. William Barber’s “Moral Monday” protests have reshaped politics in North Carolina and beyond. We’re not starting a protest movement, but when thoughtful people gather to speak about moral concerns, unexpected things can happen.
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Readings from The Cloister
🌿 From our Gardening as Spiritual Practice Series this Spring:
🌿 From our Postcards from Germany series this Summer:
Postcard from (East) Germany: Between a prayer house and an apple tree.
Postcard from Germany: On monastic hospitality, mountain peaks and earthy tasks.
About Cloister Notes
A letter for dancing monks and weary pilgrims in the intersection of psychology, philosophy and spirituality. Contemplations on being human to deepen your path, nourish your heart and build wisdom within.
About The Weary Pilgrim
Almut is a German American psychologist turned philosopher turned writer, traveler, photographer, retreat leader and mother of a kindergartener. She has taught and published on authors like Kierkegaard, Buber, Frankl, Yalom, Edith Stein, and Hildegard of Bingen. Almut is also a Benedictine Oblate and lives with her family in a little college town in the American Midwest.
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A poignant lament. 1/3 of the psalms are laments - the psalmists knew how to wail and weep - we must - Laments: the anguished voice of hope. And then . . . . action together. "O God, come to our assistance. O Lord, make haste to help us! Thank you.
Thank you for your lament that gives words to my saddened heart. And more thanks for the exquisite photography that reminds me of God’s enduring love . Lament and love contain us on this perilous journey. May you be blessed in your ministry to us readers.