“If the only prayer you ever say in your life is “Thank You,”
it will be enough.”
-Meister Eckhart, German Theologian, c.1260-c.1328
The hardest thing for us to believe, in my experience, is that we are enough. I have assigned to young people, countless times, the following mantra: “Right now, just as I am, I am enough.” Breathe it in, breathe it out. Mister Rogers tried to give children this perspective when he said at the end of every show, “I like you just the way you are.” He was offering agape love to people who were not quite ready to accept it, at least by name, from the Abrahamic God he knew so well.
For some people, opening this up to include all that is outside of ourselves will be easier, and for some harder. Can you say, in the middle of this hobbling quarantine, “Right now, just as it is, this is enough?” Not easy. But I believe this is what Meister Eckhart was after. Your first thought might be that he is letting us off easy with the assertion above, but I disagree; you may not realize how much he is asking. Can our first impulse, in any circumstance, be a sense of overflowing fullness that erupts in thanks and praise? There is, paradoxically, a profound humility in saying “I am enough,” and a similarly deep humility in saying, “this is enough, and for this I am deeply grateful.” Humility of this magnitude is a stretch for most of us. Stretching is good! It requires some intention, but feels good while we are doing it and even better after. Today, from the bottom of your heart, say “Thank You.” Under these circumstances, it will be more than enough.
-- The Rev. Barbara Talcott, St. Mark’s School
Spread the word!
Do you know someone in the St. Mark’s community who would enjoy these reflections?
