By Vernon Sankey
26th November 2021
A Rabbit Noticed my Condition:
‘I was sad one day and went for a walk;
I sat in a field.
A rabbit noticed my condition and came near.
It often does not take more than that to help at times –
To just be close to creatures who
Are so full of knowing,
So full of love
That they don’t –
Chat.
They just graze with
Their marvellous understanding.’
This poem is from ‘Love Poems from God’ written by St John of the Cross, a 16th century, mystic, visionary Carmelite friar and a colleague of Teresa of Avila.
Born in abject poverty he was imprisoned and tortured for his beliefs. A brilliant poet, his most famous work is The Dark Night Of The Soul. This work describes the dark spiritual crisis that occurs when someone undergoes the often exceedingly painful journey of deeper understanding of who they are, of life and their purpose in it, to arrive, eventually, at a Spiritual Awakening. In this respect, St John of the Cross reflects the spiritual experience of the sages of all time, whatever their religion.