The Restory Retreat Centre

The Abbey of the Arts , a website focused on transformative living through contemplative and expressive arts, is a constant source of support and nourishment to us. Its Monk Manifesto provides such sound advice on the spiritual journey that we want to post it here as well. We can totally identify with it and can only hope that our writing and living bear witness to its underlying truths.  Monk: from the Greek monachos meaning single or solitary, a monk in the world does not live apart but immersed in the everyday with a single-hearted and undivided presence, always striving for greater wholeness and integrity Manifesto: from the Latin for clear, means a public declaration of principles and intentions. Monk Manifesto: A public expression of your commitment to live a compassionate, contemplative, and creative life. I commit to finding moments each day for silence and solitude , to make space for another voice to be heard, and to resist a culture of noise and constant

Leviathan * Terwyl ek die stuk oor Patat (Sien Watchitometer ) geskryf het waarin ek noem dat hy jou soms hap, het ‘n gedeelte uit Job aanhoudend by my opgekom: “Kan jy 'n krokodil met 'n hoek vang of hom 'n tou in die bek sit? Kan jy 'n lyn deur sy neus steek of sy kakebene met 'n hoek vastrek? Sal hy jou soebat om genade of by jou mooipraat? Sal hy 'n ooreenkoms met jou aangaan om vir altyd jou slaaf te wees?” (Job 40:20-23) . Dalk is dit omdat ek meen hy is net so onafhanklik ontembaar soos die krokodil as hy eers daardie ore plattrek. Die hele dinkery het my egter weer op ander spore gesit. In byna al die Engelse vertalings en in die oorspronklike Hebreeuse teks self word nie van krokodil nie, maar van die Leviatan – die Hebreeuse naam vir ‘n groot seemonster - gepraat. Dit gaan nie hier vir my om wat die beste vertaling van die gedeelte in Job is nie. Die onderliggende tema is gewoon iets baie groter as die mens wat vrees inboesem en waarteen o