Two things I'm thinking about today...

1.) Friend, in the desolate time, when your soul
is enshrouded in darkness
When, in a deep abyss, memory and feeling
die out,
Intellect timidly gropes among shadowy forms
and illusions
Heart can no longer sigh, eye is unable
to weep;
When, from your night-clouded soul the wings
of fire have fallen
And you, to nothing, afraid, feel
yourself sinking once more,
Say, who rescues you then?—Who is the
comforting angel
Brings to your innermost soul order and
beauty again,
Building once more your fragmented world,
restoring the fallen
Altar, and when it is raised, lighting
the sacred flame?-—
None but the powerful being who first from
the limitless darkness
Kissed to life seraphs and woke
numberless suns to their dance.
None but the holy Word who called the worlds
into existence
And in whose power the worlds move on
their paths to this day.
Therefore, rejoice, oh friend, and sing in
the darkness of sorrow:
Night is the mother of day, Chaos the
neighbor of God.

-and-

2.)A mood
of dread and Time's oppression broke
upon young Arthur's heart as ice
upon the early rose: he felt
no joy at being summoned to
these wars and wondered whether peace
would ever bless the land. He loathed,
for not the final time, his fate
that he must be both instrument
of Britain's dark folk-memory
and future forces of the light.
He summoned up his fears and said:


"How can... how can a war bring peace,
old wizard? How do clashing swords
serve harmony? Would... would it not
be wiser to let... or let grow
the Roman olive freely near
the Teuton briar? Am I to kill
more Saxons, murdering my soul,
perpetuating evil...? Erm...
prolonging this... this ancient hate,
these smouldering, antique hatreds, fanned
by fiery men with airy swords?
They want me for their standard, not
for... not for any wisdom I
might have, because I'm Uther's son!"
He sank upon the stone in tears.
Then Merlin answered warmly, as
wise Krishna calmed Arjuna's fears
upon the Kurukshetra:
"Let
the King rule; let the farmer sow;
let bards address the Muses nine;
let weavers weave their cloths; let cooks
bake bread; let mothers tend their young;
let all perform their duty, serve
in their own place their brothers' need.
Let ministers advise and let
the King's son be the future King.
Oh Arthur, do you think that when
we chose our fates the choice was fair?
Our lives are hardly ours to own
but subject to all suffering,
and suffering eventually
destroys the separate self and lets
us serve the mighty Whole. Think this
as you are standing near the foe
in Gwent upon Ambrosius's lands,
my Arthur, think! Remember this,
your destiny and why you came!
And think, the soul can not be killed.
This form may pass away but not
its essence - bodies die but souls
remember everything. A Law
connects our futures to our pasts
with an impartial justice, stern
and blind. That balance seeks correction
now. The stars announce it. You,
my Arthur, are the agent of
the Saxons' nemesis and if
you do not fight the shame will fall
on you; worse evil still upon
our own beloved lands." He stopped.
Then Arthur bowing said: "I have
been counselled wisely. Lead me to
my father and these wretched wars
and what I there perform, may it
be good."
With that they saddled up
and galloped down the quiet hills
that softened with the sunlight and,
unable to withstand the dawn,
broke waving into grassy seas.

-in summary-

I lift up my eyes to the hills-
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2