Caravan of Souls--

Last night I attended a “Caravan of Souls: From Jerusalem to Cordoba” presented by Catherine Braslavsky and Joseph Rowe. If you ever get a chance to hear the sublime music of these devout and exceptional musicians, do so. Her voice sent me back to the great cathedrals, to the call to prayer, and to the chanting at the temple. The true beauty of their program was going to the Unity behind the three great religions of Jerusalem through poetry and music. With such wings the cutting sword of the intellect of scholars and fundamentalists are sheathed in devotion. Here are two prayers sung by Catherine.

My heart welcomes all forms:
It is a meadow for gazelles, a monastery for monks,
A temple for idols, the Kaaba of Mecca, and the tablets of the Torah.
My religion is love,
Wherever love’s caravans go, I follow.

There is no God but God.
--Ibn Arabi

In Te Sum

When you are in my vision, I am in the light
When you are in my heart, I am virtue
Your clarity, your witness, your incarnation in me.
When you are in the body, I am without limit
When you are in the soul, I am like a child
Your mercy, your patience
Your simplicity in me.

Your wisdom, your universality
Your omnipotence, in me
In you I am, only in you.

Give what I cannot give
Do what I cannot do
Love what I cannot love
Sing what I cannot sing

In you, I am…

The evening took place at the Numina Center at the Incarnation Church in Santa Rosa. What I really enjoyed about last night was that the music was swathed in silence. It was prayer. The music and the verses arose out of silence and fell gently back in. It was only at the end when there was a standing ovation for Catherine and Joseph.