Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,
Here it is our last episode of our special feature "Seven Days Before Christmas", and in this last episode I love to look back to 2015 and try to give a "meditation" on Christmas. I hope you don't think that this will be a kind of sermon, if so .... please forgive me.
Looking Back:
As I look back on 2015 I realize myself that 2015 was another wonderful year of haiku in which we had wonderful months. As I have heard from several of you the months of "deeper meaning" were most appreciated. So we had "On The Trail With Basho" this month and earlier in May in which we followed Basho on his journeys. Than there was our "trip" through the world of the Altai Mountains and of course our month in which we read the Bhagavad Gita ... that month was by the way my favorite and brought me the idea to prolong "peace of mind" also in one of our kukai this year.
It was really a joy to create Carpe Diem Haiku Kai for you and I am looking forward to another wonderful year of CDHK. Of course there will be circumstances again (maybe) that I will not have time enough ... please forgive me ...
As I look back than I see how you all have grown in your haiku writing skills and I am grateful that I could have a role in that. Thank you all for being part of our haiku loving family.
Don't be afraid:
Recently I read a wonderful sermon-like article written by a preacher. That article touched me and I love to reflect on that here ...
When Jesus was born the circumstances weren't good, Israel was part of the Roman Empire and it wasn't a joyful country to live. Under those circumstances Mary and Josef had to go on their way to Bethlehem for a census. Along the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem they had to conquer difficulties, but they finally reached Bethlehem were Mary gave birth to her son Jesus. It wasn't a great place to give labor to her child, but she did ... in the strong belief that God would help her.There in that stable laid in a manger shepherds and wise man came to pay Him honor ... Jesus, the Son of God would bring peace and love back to Israel, but Herod was afraid that this Jesus would "steal" his throne so he (Herod) ordered his guards to kill all first born boys.
Mary, Josef and their son Jesus fled to Egypt.
The circumstances than are the same circumstances now, because in great parts of our world there is war, war based on religion or on new ideas. Jesus was born under bad circumstances and now more than 2000 year later it seems like there has nothing changed.
Peace on Earth is still not there and however we pray for peace every day ... that world peace is far away. Why is there war based on religion? Are we not all the same in nature? Are we not all children of God, Allah, Buddha, Krishna and so on?
One of my beliefs is that only unconditional love for all and everything can bring peace to the world and I hope ... that there will be one day this peace will be there ... maybe I will not be here, but than our children and grandchildren can rejoice with whole the world that peace is finally there.
Don't be afraid ... there is a peaceful future ahead of us ...
Peace be with you.
Namaste,
Chèvrefeuille
This last episode of "Seven Days ..." will be open for your submissions tonight at 10.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until December 26th 10.00 PM (CET). Merry Christmas to you all.
