A Hermits story.

You have been invited to meet The Friend.  No-one can resist a Divine Invitation.  That narrows down our choice to just two:  We can come to God dressed for dancing or be carried on a stretcher to God's ward.  (By Hafiz)

As hermits our roots belong in eremetical traditions.  From time immemorial humanity has encountered a sense of mystery which set them on a search for the divine.  This is a grace-filled quest and all are called to follow.  For Shaddais' Hermits Christ is our source and inspiration on this quest and the spiritual path our way of life.

The mystical community of the 21st Century is that of humanity itself.  The Hermits of Shaddai are mystics without monasteries. (2)  We support each other while residing in our own hermitage, home and community.  We are on a timeless journey into consciousness, a co-creative path.  Humanity's task is the spiritual quest.  We listen to the Spirit's voice prompting us to pursue the inner knowing of our soul.  We follow without hesitation.  We cannot resist the ancient calling of our being to the divine.   We walk a conscious path and realize our journeys interconnect with the whole.  This journey is for the healing of all existence.

The name Shaddai refers to the feminine aspect of being.  As hermits we live a simple, solitary, contemplative, graced existence.  We seek to learn from all traditions wisdom of the mystical life.

In the following reflections we capture the spirit of our lives in scripture, poetry, songs and excerpts from a hermits journal.

The ancient knowing of Being is within our grasp we pursue that above all else.

Kookaburras laugh as I write. 

Excerpts from a Hermits journal 1965-2007.

I heard a distant whispering, I left everything in pursuit of that sound.  (1980)

I rode like the wind chasing after you.  I went like crazy.  There was no slowing down.  (1975)

When you came my eyes were burning.  You caused tears to roll down my face.  I stared at you.  I could not speak.  Nothing is more profound.  (1979)

You could not be found.  I was devastated.  I will keep looking.  (1996)

You had me climb so high, you wounded my feet.  (2002)

You tamed me like a lion.  (2007)

I fled her down the nights and down the days; I fled her down the arches of the years; I fled her down the labrinthine ways of my own mind; and in the midst of tears I hid from her and under running laughter.  Up vistaed hopes I sped; and shot, precipitated, adown Titanic gloom of chasmed fears,  from those strong feet that followed, followed after.  (The hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson.  www.poetry.elcore.net/houndofheavenInRtT.html).

But you Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham my friend, whom I have taken to myself, from the remotest parts of the earth and summoned from countries far away, to whom I have said, You are my servant, I have chosen you.  Do not be afraid, for I am with you.  Do not be alarmed, for I am your God.  (Isaiah 41:8-10)

Did you ever know that you're my hero and everything I would like to be.  I can fly higher than an eagle, you are the wind beneath my wings.  It might have appeared to go unnoticed, but I've got it all here in my heart.  I want you to know I know the truth,  of course I know it, I would be nothing without you.  Fly, fly, fly away, you let me fly so high, oh fly, fly, so high I almost touch the sky.  Thank-you, thank-you, thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings.  (Beth Midler - Wind Beneath my Wings www.romantic-lyrics.com/lw9.shtml).

THE ROSE

Some say love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed.  Some say love it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed, some say love it is a hunger an endless aching need.  I say love it is a flower and you its only seed.  (Bette Midler - www.azlyrics/bettemidler/therose.html).

Hermits are contemplatives and exist for the divine.  We live faithful love reflected in a simple lifestyle of solitude, prayer and grace. This is captured by the words of scripture and excerpts from a hermits journal.

You hugged me so tight, I thought I would die.  (1985)

I will betroth you to myself forever, I shall betroth you in uprightness and justice, with faithful love and tenderness.  (Hosea 2:21)

I was in agony.  I had to run away.  (1987)

You visited my rooms.  Like the wind, you blew me away.  What would my mother and sisters say?  (1990)

I could smell your scent.  It was like perfume from Loreal.  (2002)

You came so close I could not breathe, my heart palpitated.  (2007)

You drove me totally mad.  I almost lost my mind.  My head exploded and I was estatic.  (1998-2002)

You were lost to me, gone.  My heart was ripped out.  You totally broke me down, a shadow of nothing.  How could I ever recover?  (1998)

When that day comes declares Yahweh, you will call me my husband.  (Hosea 2)

You brought me to the fountain of youth.  It emerged within as an eternal spring.  You bathed me there.  Its beauty the soul's essence.  (2006)

As hermits we are empowered to follow Christ's simplicity.  We follow the mystical path.  We recognize the equality and dignity of all beings.  Our way of living this is depicted in scripture, poetry and excerpts from a hermits journal.

Blessed are those who know they are spiritually poor, the kingdom of heaven is theirs.  (Matthew 5:3)

Though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not count equality with God something to be grasped.  He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross.  (Phillipians 2:6-7)

Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour.  And he said to him, I will give you these, if you fall at my feet and pay homage.  Then Jesus repleid, Away with you, Satan!  For scripture says:  The Lord your God is the one to whom you must do homage, God alone you must serve.  (Matthew 4:7-10)

They attacked me for ten days.  They caused bruising to my chest.  I screamed and screamed, they would not leave me be.  My soul was in distress.  ( 2000)

Again they came tormenting me only they seemed stronger, thier blackness manifesting as a shadow in my room.  (2002)

They annointed me with oil.  My wrists burned with excruciating pain.  (2000)

I was totally stripped of everthing.  I had nothing left.  It suddenly dawned on me that I did not exist.  (2006)

You caused my spirit to scream in uncontrolled episodes.  You had me confront other realites in non-ordinary states.  You showed the realms of consciousness.  My being was extremly unwell for years, a soul totally distressed.  You led me close to madness, it was such a fine line.  (1998-2002)

You caused me to shake in the extreme.  My spine was on fire and I could not sit in any comfort.  My speech was lost.  I was in a state of spiritual emergency.  (1998-2002)

I cried feeling really tormented but there was nobody who could help me.   I could see the terrain, I was afraid.  But then you rescued me.  (2000) 

At last he did what he alone could do: mounting a tree, he stretched his arms out wide and there remained in love until he died, his heart by a deep wound of love pierced through.  (Verses on Christ and the Soul by Marjorie Flower OCD).

In you alone is my soul at rest.  (Book of Psalms)

For love is strong as death, passion as relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire, a flame of God's ownself.  (Song of Songs 8:6)

A hermits call is an internal quest in pursuit of Being.   We seek solitary and silence.  We embrace a co-creative path living to transform the collective consciousness.  This enables the healing of existence.  We continue to capture this in words and excerpts from a hermits journal.

In the book of law it lies written, that I should do your will.  (Psalm 40:7)

Then Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert.  (Matthew 4:1)

Let it happen to me as you have said.  (Luke 1:38)

You walked me through worlds, I  met the demons and the ghosts.  In your sight they fled.  (2000)

Their smell was truly revolting, it nauseated me.  I could sense thier sickness.  (2000)

The terrain was not well marked.  You would not have found your own way through.  I nearly lost my mind.  I lost  my sight.  You came with the strength of a Lion.  I jumped across the crevaces at your command, landing safely in your arms.  (2002)

My consciousness expanded, I exploded into space.  (2007)

In that moment my inside and outside became the reflection of the other.  (2002)

My consciousness changed I saw the planes beyond the seventh heaven.  I arrived at your holy house.   (2007)

Climbing to the heights we were mesmorised.   (2007)   My lover is mine and I am his.  (Song of Songs 3:16)

You spend the days instructing me.  You command me to listen.  (2007)

Hermits live a simple, solitary, contemplative life, in service of the divine.  This is depicted again in scripture and excerpts from a hermits journal.

You showed clearly where our home is.  It is on the road.  (2007)

They told their story of what happened to them on the road.  And how they recognized him in the breaking of bread.  (Road to Emmaus. Luke 24:13-35)

Go up to the mountain joyful bearer of good news.  (Isaiah 40:9)

Fly Fly little wing, Fly beyond imagining, the softest cloud, the whitest dove, upon the wind of heavens love.  Past the planets and the stars.  Above the universe you'll climb, on beyond the hands of time.  (Song 'Fly' by Celine Dion)

As hermits we serve in a variety of fields.  We co-ordinate a global healing network via the internet.  Our work belongs to the divine and is gifted by grace.

You had me climb to the seventh heaven.  You handed me a scroll.  On it were written thousands of names of people for whom you planned to heal and scripts of medicine for the soul.   I took the scroll and brought it back down as you instructed.  (2002)  You then declared a new order, 'The former world has passed away, you can see that now'.  (Rev 21)  You had me pass through dimensions of time.  You told me to remain small.  (2007)

A final word.

The lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed.  (Rev 5:5)

You must travel alone through the night.  (2007)

I spent some nights with a tribal lion, the lion of the tribe of Judah, and on these occasions he was very playful.  (2007)

Rise clasp my hand and come.  (Hound of Heaven)