M E T A N O I A

To meditate is to take a stand, a quiet but profound defiance against the neglect of our inner lives. It is to declare that the unseen, unspoken depths within us hold value, that they are not a distraction from life but the very source of it. To evolve, we must summon the courage to turn inward, not as a retreat but as an arrival.

This is no small act. It requires us to step back into ourselves, to face what is hidden with a spirit of openness and curiosity. And in doing so, something shifts. The unknown becomes known, the distant becomes near, the fearful becomes understandable. In that act of attention, a truth is suggested, not a truth imposed from outside, but one that has always waited within us, quietly present, like a light unnoticed in the corner of the room.

What we encounter is nothing less than the fullness of our own human life, looking back at us from the depths of our being. It is an enigmatic presence, not demanding but inviting, a presence that whispers of belonging. It tells us that our place here, in this life, is not conditional or precarious. Our tenancy is not only welcome but secure.

And more than that, it is beautifully furnished. The spaces within us are not empty or barren but alive with meaning, layered with all the textures of existence. In meditation, we don’t discover something foreign; we discover home. A home we’ve always carried, where every room is filled with the quiet assurance that we are meant to be here.

(Portrait of Father ‘Dimi’ Syrian Orthodox Priest).