You are Held by a Love that Passes All Understanding

“I discovered the way to the interior side of my life, at the deep center of which I knew that I was not alone, but was held by a love that passes all understanding. 

This love was mediated to me, in the first place, by those with whom I worshiped. For my journey was not solitary, but one undertaken with my friends as we moved towards each other and together traveled inwards. Yet I knew that the love that held me could not be limited to the mutual love and care we had for each other. It was a signal of transcendence that pointed beyond itself to the source of all life and love.”

— George H. Gorman, 1973
“The Amazing Fact of Quaker Worship,” Swarthmore Lecture
Photo credit: Georgia Sparling

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Today’s Invitation

Take a moment to reflect on the phrase, “a love that passes all understanding.” What does this phrase mean to you? How are you held by a love that passes all understanding?

Query of the Week

What is your process for centering in worship?

What does “centered-ness” mean to you? What does it feel like when you reach a centered state?

Author

  • Maeve Sutherland

    Maeve Sutherland is a communications professional who never recovered from her wonderful childhood at a Quaker elementary school. She has spent her career helping nonprofits share their stories, from schools and universities, to museums, to radio stations. As a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, Maeve spent a year living in “Peaceable Kingdoms,” pacifist intentional communities around the world, where she learned that everyone has a role to play in shaping a better world. She worked as a freelance social media manager before joining Thee Quaker Project. After returning to Quakerism as a young adult, Maeve now attends Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting in Philadelphia.

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