Thank you!!! I loved this thoughtful exploration and had thought something similar. You really inspired me with this article-because my soul definitely feels it has shriveled a little with my attention to evil in the world lately.
Love, love, love this response and am very relieved to hear I'm not the only one who thought that virtue only had one (rather negative) connotation.
I had not come across that biblical passage before but it really resonates, especially when you mention receiving light. I've just finished a Quantum and Circadian Biology course, which has taught me that we actually create light bio-photonically, through receiving light from the sun.
Art = Beauty = Light = Presence
I feel like a child who has just learned where honey comes from 🤗
This is a very thought-provoking piece - thank you.
Of particular interest to me, was my strong reaction to the word 'virtue', because I believe that word has been mis-used historically (and presently) to control people. I tried to find a word to substitute, while retaining the tenor of your piece but could find none. So, I looked up a definition of 'virtue' and found, as you mention 'power' or potency. I never knew that 'virtue' could be defined this way, so thank you for enlightening me and expanding my understanding of what it is to be virtuous.
Also interesting is that I haven't been much on SubStack for the past couple of weeks and today, as I read a few of the posts in my inbox, the key theme that comes up in all of them, is 'attention', especially what we give attention to.
Over the past decade, it has become increasingly apparent to me that attention equates to witnessing presence, without which, there is no life. For, if we are not present we are absent, whether physically apparent or not.
I believe that presence (attention) is the most precious gift we can give - to witness another fully, with all of our being, either in the flesh, or through what they have created (art). No beauty was ever created in the absence of a creator and it is the creator we sense, when we are fully present (alive).
Yes, realizing this definition of virtue changed it for me too. I read that verse about Christ and thought, "what? wait - virtue flowed OUT of him?" and started pondering. We are taught to be "virtuous" by force of will and suppressing "bad" urges. But it all flips when we realize virtue is a power that we receive, just as we receive light from the sun. Nobody tells us to be "lightful" by the force of our will alone, without us first receiving light. I agree about attention. It is our most sacred gift and is the mouth of the soul. We are here to feed the soul.
So insightful. Like I say, I want the beauty/joy of the soul, not of the body/flesh.
Yes - it is a much deeper, truer beauty.
Beautiful! And so true! Thank you for this!
Thank you. I appreciate it. I hope my writing brings beauty into the world. That is my goal. This piece explains why. I appreciate you.
Beautifully written.
Thank you!
Thank you!!! I loved this thoughtful exploration and had thought something similar. You really inspired me with this article-because my soul definitely feels it has shriveled a little with my attention to evil in the world lately.
Thank you!
Love, love, love this response and am very relieved to hear I'm not the only one who thought that virtue only had one (rather negative) connotation.
I had not come across that biblical passage before but it really resonates, especially when you mention receiving light. I've just finished a Quantum and Circadian Biology course, which has taught me that we actually create light bio-photonically, through receiving light from the sun.
Art = Beauty = Light = Presence
I feel like a child who has just learned where honey comes from 🤗
This is a very thought-provoking piece - thank you.
Of particular interest to me, was my strong reaction to the word 'virtue', because I believe that word has been mis-used historically (and presently) to control people. I tried to find a word to substitute, while retaining the tenor of your piece but could find none. So, I looked up a definition of 'virtue' and found, as you mention 'power' or potency. I never knew that 'virtue' could be defined this way, so thank you for enlightening me and expanding my understanding of what it is to be virtuous.
Also interesting is that I haven't been much on SubStack for the past couple of weeks and today, as I read a few of the posts in my inbox, the key theme that comes up in all of them, is 'attention', especially what we give attention to.
Over the past decade, it has become increasingly apparent to me that attention equates to witnessing presence, without which, there is no life. For, if we are not present we are absent, whether physically apparent or not.
I believe that presence (attention) is the most precious gift we can give - to witness another fully, with all of our being, either in the flesh, or through what they have created (art). No beauty was ever created in the absence of a creator and it is the creator we sense, when we are fully present (alive).
Yes, realizing this definition of virtue changed it for me too. I read that verse about Christ and thought, "what? wait - virtue flowed OUT of him?" and started pondering. We are taught to be "virtuous" by force of will and suppressing "bad" urges. But it all flips when we realize virtue is a power that we receive, just as we receive light from the sun. Nobody tells us to be "lightful" by the force of our will alone, without us first receiving light. I agree about attention. It is our most sacred gift and is the mouth of the soul. We are here to feed the soul.
This is beautiful…thank you so much!!!
Wonderful. I am reinspired to create.