Yesterday I wrote about Parker J. Palmer's idea of the "tragic gap"—the gap between the way things are and how we know they could be. I mentioned the tension between reality and possibility, too.
In his book A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward An Undivided Life, Palmer says that people can "let the tension between reality and possibility break their collective heart open to justice, truth, and love."
I like that idea of hearts breaking open—open to learning and loving. When our hearts are open, so much more can get in.
Palmer tells about an old Hasidic tale that explains that: "The pupil comes to the rebbe and asks, 'Why does Torah tell us to "place these words upon your hearts"? Why does it not tell us to place these holy words in our hearts?' The rebbe answers, 'It is because as we are, our hearts are closed, and we cannot place the holy words in our hearts. So we place them on top of our hearts. And there they stay until, one day, the heart breaks, and the words fall in.'"
That needs no explanation. Enough said!
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