By Danielle Harrison
This poem, along with other Ignatian prayers, poems, reflections and art, first appeared in our free e-book, “Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: Through the Year with Ignatian Spirituality.” Sign up to receive it at jesuits.org/ebook.
Imaginative Prayer: Where We Meet
Close my eyes.
Deep breaths.
Quiet my spirit and open my heart.
The invitation:
“Come see Me—Come hear Me
Come walk with Me—Come dance with Me
Come…be with Me.”
Where are we going today, Lord?
Cana? The Sea of Galilee? Jerusalem?
Calvary?
The Syrophoenician Woman-whose daughter is ill.
I am scared—yet I am bold.
I know You can heal my daughter—Gentile though I am.
The need propels me-pushes me forward.
I see the disdain in your friends’ faces;
I hear the whispering: “Why does she bother him?”
I hear your words:
“It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
But…I see your eyes:
“Dance with me…it’s bigger than you and I today.”
SO MUCH LOVE.
“Even the dogs eat the children’s crumbs.”
YOUR SMILE IS RADIANT!
“The demon is gone!”
I dance my way home.
May I continue
to be bold
to push forward
to live in faith
May I continue to dance.
Danielle Harrison is a seeker and worker for racial justice, a spiritual director and lover of Ignatian spirituality.