top of page

contemplatively






the visually impaired describing an elephant
There is this ancient parable about six blind men trying to describe an elephant. As they each touched a different part of the elephant they experienced different things and began to quarrel amongst themselves. The town’s wise man intervened, “each was partly in the right and all were in the wrong ''. This contemplation blog reflects the different author’s individual discoveries about the Unseen. Accepting that we are all wrong but knowing that each one has a unique angle of experience of the Indescribable. Since we know that we are attempting to describe Love, our highest calling is to give each other loving space to be wrong. We would invite you on this journey with us.
Search
THE GENESIS CANTICLE OF THE WORD
I. The Beginning and the Word Before all beginnings, He was— alone, unmade, unmoved, complete in His own being. Good. Beautiful. Whole. He desired nothing; nothing lay beyond Him. He is Life— the living I AM. Then He spoke: a Word— not new, not born, but always in Him, always Him. The Word went forth yet never left— distinct, not divided, the utterance of His own heart. From the Word came Breath: wind unseen, love in motion, Spirit proceeding— light within movement, movement

Joe de Swardt
Nov 215 min read


The parable of the Sower reimagined
Understanding and love feel scarce just now. Misunderstanding multiplies, and we bend under unspoken rules and expectations. The world keeps its books as if accountants ran the cosmos: nothing for nothing; a penny buys a whisper. But what if the Kingdom does not balance ledgers—what if grace refuses the spreadsheet, and love spends itself where no return is guaranteed? The Parable of the Sower has always fascinated me (cf. Matt 13:3–9; Mark 4:3–9; Luke 8:5–8). It appears to b
Stephan Vosloo
Oct 254 min read


Why???
I had this response from a friend to a post on the situation in Gaza: "Why don't you ask God to protect the children of Gaza, who are...
Stephan Vosloo
May 314 min read


This is the Sign: You Are Not Alone
This morning, I broke the bread— the most basic and simple food— and remembered. Jesus once held it in his hands, looked into the eyes of...
Stephan Vosloo
Apr 182 min read


Doing activism in love
I never really thought of myself as an activist. In fact, I’ve only taken part in one demonstration in my entire life. I avoided social...
Stephan Vosloo
Feb 255 min read


Could we collectively be midwifing a season of hope?
In the beginning of the year, I look for words that might describe the deeper, unseen aspects of the year. I have found that these words...
Stephan Vosloo
Jan 225 min read


A feast in the midst of the tribulation - is that possible?
Reflecting on John's vision from the Island of Patmos, it's natural to wonder if we're living in the End Times, especially amid today's...
Stephan Vosloo
Dec 13, 20248 min read


Finding the Third Way: Beyond Right and Wrong in the Wake of the U.S. Election
This prayer by Cole Arthur Riley resonated deeply with me as I reflect on the US election results, our purpose as those who believe we...
Stephan Vosloo
Nov 10, 20247 min read


Can you prove in Scripture that suffering is essential?
Someone asked me this week: "Can you prove in Scripture that suffering is essential?" I really took that question to heart and wrote this...
Stephan Vosloo
Oct 20, 20248 min read


Raw Prayer of Struggle
God of glory, vast and wild, Here I am—broken, lost, a child. I’m not chasing power, not chasing fame, Just exhausted from this...

Joe de Swardt
Sep 18, 20242 min read


poiēma
Darkness, the canvas of creation. The honest shadow of the broken. In the constraints of limitation, we learn to own our frailties,...

Joe de Swardt
Sep 12, 20241 min read


Augustine, John and Friday morning.
Augustine, in his confessions, struggles in such an accessible way: “ Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I...

Joe de Swardt
Sep 6, 20244 min read


Understand and Behold the Beauty.
Life is a process—a journey. We find ourselves on this journey that starts in chaos. The chaos caused by the word of the Father, the...

Joe de Swardt
Sep 2, 20243 min read


When perfection has come - another look at Paul's Ode to Love
I believe most of us live much of our younger years under the illusion of immortality. And that's okay—this illusion helps us face the...
Stephan Vosloo
Aug 25, 20247 min read


The Hidden Autobiography of the Holy Spirit
Introduction : I spent two months in as much prayer, fasting, silence and solitude as possible. I read through the Bible, looked at the...

Joe de Swardt
Aug 21, 202426 min read


The Forty-Year Gestation: A Vision of Unconditional Love?
My friend Johan has transitioned into the arms of his Father and into the eternal dance of Love in the early hours of 30 June 2024. I...
Stephan Vosloo
Aug 3, 20246 min read


L'Chaim - a toast to life.
Three days ago, Johan du Toit, one of my my best friends of over forty years suffered a stroke that has left him speechless and paralyzed...
Stephan Vosloo
Jun 14, 20247 min read


Be Kind — A Journey to Radical Empathy
In the most gentle and kindest voice, I want to ask myself the profound question that Charles Bukowski asked: "Who were you before the...

Tracey Richardson
May 1, 20243 min read


How do I handle a malevolent person with love?
“I read all the wonderful passages on your blog and agree that Love is all there is. I've wanted to ask what one does when one is...
Stephan Vosloo
Apr 20, 20245 min read


A secret stairway in the sky
In the midst of this tumultuous era, I encountered a prophetic revelation last week, offering nourishment amidst the chaos that envelops...
Stephan Vosloo
Mar 9, 20246 min read
bottom of page




