Recently I have been experimenting with mark marking (calligraphy ink on paper, collage with chalk pastel). This is literally making my mark. In the Yoga tradition we think of each person having a unique purpose (Sanskrit: dharma). We are here to make our mark by acts of selfless service given for the welfare of the world. In the Christian tradition missing the mark (Greek: harmatia) is a synonym for sin. When we make marks with ink on paper we are responding to what is sensed at an inner level rather than trying to make a picture. What if we lived life like that? How different human society might be if people learned to trust the inner guide and we sensed our way forward instead of trying to make a perfect picture. This week I was asked how I reacted if a project failed in my ministry. I replied that I took it as a sign that I hadn’t listened attentively enough to the guiding of the Holy Spirit. It is a great work of discernment to know what is true mark making and what is simply vanity that will ultimately miss the mark.
