April 9, 2009
the white pebble
[Click on image to enlarge etc.]
There’s a wonderful metaphor in the Bible [Revelation 2:17] about “a white pebble”.
17 Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations: To him that conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white pebble, and upon the pebble a new name written which no one knows except the one receiving it.
The metaphor was once explained to me by a Catholic monk. To paraphrase:
“You have three selves: The person that you think you are, the person that other people think you are, and the person that God thinks you are. The white pebble represents the latter. And of the three, it is by far the most important.”
He then gave me some good advice, something I’ve always kept with me:
“When life gets really tough, just remember the white pebble. Just remember who you really are. Just remember the person that only God can see.”
Whatever your thoughts on God or Religion may be, positive or negative, the white pebble is a very simple metaphor that audaciously asks the question: “Who are you, really?”
Yes, why are you here, exactly? Who are you here for? Yourself? Other people? God? Or maybe some other cause? You tell me…
It’s one of those questions that never gets old. Unlike the poor body that houses us.
Wonderful lesson! Wonderful question!
My dad likes to think we are here to explore Life. We are individuations of all Life, part of the whole, learning.
Here was my little extension of that: http://vinylart.blogspot.com/2009/01/value-in-abundance.html
I just listen to my gut to know who I am, as I do.
Peace.
Thanks for this, Hugh. A lot of times, it helps to bring a little perspective into our image-conscious existences.
Jason
Wolves are actually extremely social animals. Just sayin…
Hugh:
I love that passage (in a lot of translations, it’s a white stone). Thanks for sharing.
A spiritually uplifting game to play is to inventory the passions and talents that you were given, and use that knowledge to try to figure out what the name on the stone could be. Once you gain that insight, that word — or name — is likely your life’s mission and purpose.
You seem to have discovered that mission. It would be cool if you could put it in one word, Hugh.
For example, my great joy is to set people free — intellectually, emotionally and physically — from the prisons they build for themselves, or are built for them, so they can be great at work and at life. This applies to my relationships, my work in my organization, etc. — and is consistent in application across all facets of my life.
I believe (I hope) my name — the person God thinks I am and, consequently, my mission — is Liberator.
I’d love to hear your thoughts…
I can hardly articulate how much I LOVE THIS — thank you. It’s beautiful and so timely. We’re honoring my 13 year old on Saturday and I am going to use this metaphor. Thank you.
Can a pebble’s color change as the light rises and then fades? From tan, to white and finally to pink.
I focus, then re-focus on the who am i, how i see me, how u see me and then that one moment arrives, allowing a moment of clarity. Thanks “gaping void” for the moment.
MikeToots
at tootaloosa
Two thumbs up, well done
So true and proof that religion has lessons for even the staunchest of atheists.
Irrespective of one’s spirituality, the “real you” is also an existential question. We perceive ourselves through the filters of our 5 senses, which are pretty limited when appraising a person beyond the superficial.
Even on a superficial level, the most steadfast of us are prone to body-dysmorphia. Can anyone deny that at some point they’ve seen a photo of themselves that doesn’t correlate with what they see in the mirror?
Introspection is particularly flawed, the emotions we try to understand ironically distort our understanding of them. Paranoia being the best example.
We have a reason to be here which disappear with our death, so life itself should be the answer to the question. The fact that we are striving to live means we are fulfilling our purpose in life whether we can gather that purpose in thoughts or words or not.
i guess that’s why people love your work, or art in general. some philosopher (can’t remember which one at this point) called art the most individual expression of the most individual emotion.
many people, including myself, struggle sometimes to express themselves and like a white pebble, art can strike a chord that we didn’t know was there. it stops us in our tracks and makes us think about why this particular piece resonates so strongly within ourselves. it helps us to better understand who we are.
Thank you for this words.
I have pasted/copied on my blog.
I read your blog for a long time and I appreciate your thought about religion.
I’m sorry for my poor English.
In Avot, Hillel stated “If I am not for myself, who will be? If I am not for others, what am ‘I’? And if not now, when?”
The reason why I love to see what’s new in your work is that it is so real. There’s no fluff. Life is both flesh and spirit, and learning how to live in the dance between the two. Personally I try to live in the spirit more than the flesh. Your work to me embraces both and sees the beauty within our being. Thanks.
Great post Hugh!
Nice thoughts for a Good Friday and everyday. I shared with friends and family along with my Easter greetings.
Refreshing post.
Great post although not a print i would buy, already bought corinthians, 1 religious print is good for my collection…would love to see prints on the core ideas from the last couple of years, porous membrain, hughtrain, edges etc..
Really nice post