rumi

i wrote an article recently for the vineyard central newsletter about learning to love others in our shared weakness then last night i read a poem by the sufi poet rumi called four interrupted prayers. here's an excerpt that i found shockingly parallel to what Jesus would say about removing planks from our own eyes before taking them out of others'...

Blessed

is the one who sees his weakness, and blessed is one who, when
he sees a flaw in someone

else, takes responsibility for it. Because, half of any person
is wrong and weak and off

the path. Half! The other half is dancing and swimming and
flying the invisible joy. You

have ten open sores on your head. Put what salve you have
on yourself. And point out

to everyone the dis-ease you are. That's part of getting
well! When you lance yourself

that way, you become more merciful and wiser. Even if you
don't have a particular

fault at the moment, you may soon be the one who makes some
act notorious. Don't feel

self-satisfied...

- taken from The Soul of Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks