Divine Companions

As a photographer, I'm always looking for clothing with pockets, and over the years I've come to see the presence and absence of pockets in women's clothing as signs of the rise and fall of that aspect of feminism that has to do with appearance, with woman as object.

There's something amazingly practical about pockets, and it seems to me that when clothing -- especially skirts and pants -- comes without them, it's a clear indicator that appearance has again become more important than practicality. Note: pocket absence is often accompanied by ridiculous heel heights, so you can imagine what I think of the current shoe fashions: pretty? yes. Wearable? Well, not for me, anyway!

I was reminded of my pocket philosophy over the weekend when my husband, in his cleaning efforts, unearthed a photo of me taken by an old boyfriend in the early 80's. In the photo I am wearing a rather fitted gauze shirt in an appealing plaid, and the shirt features two breast pockets; something almost unheard of in today's styles. The photo made me smile and remember I've always been particularly fond of breast pockets, as they make it possible for me to go braless by providing an extra layer to hide the telltale nipples. (Oooh, she said nipples!)

At any rate, it wasn't surprising that this goddess emerged not long after seeing that photo: I like to think of her as the spirit of practicality -- surely a useful spirit to embody. So I went looking in Joyce Rupp's Prayers to Sophia for an appropriate prayer to match with her today, and in wandering through the book I finally realized where these torsos may be coming from. I think they are representations of the Divine Wisdom -- Sophia -- that lives within us. Which of course explains why they don't need heads: they're not about the wisdom of our heads, they're about the wisdom that resides in our hearts, and in our gut.

So now I see it's time to begin at the beginning; to read Rupp's book about that wisdom, The Star in my Heart, as well as the Prayers to Sophia, and come to a better understanding of that wisdom. And the fact that so many of them feel a bit like corsets, or swimsuits, makes me think of those lines from Ephesians about putting on the armor of God: perhaps these goddesses hang in a sort of spiritual closet, and we dress in the aspect of wisdom we most need for this moment?

At any rate, it's fun to think about, and I think I may be on to something here -- or at least have begun to solve the mystery of what these images are about. And so I share with you the Sophia Prayer I read this morning that helped open me to that understanding of wisdom: it's called Draw Me to Your Heart:

Wise and Faithful Guide
keep my spirit entwined with yours.
Teach me about the poor and the pained.
Fill me with your mercy and compassion.
Help me to find your peace in my troubled moments.
Let love be the response I give to those who oppose me.
Constantly draw me toward all that is good.

Urge me to give my best to those who need it.
Lead me to learn from my discouragement and struggles.
Be the light I need to find my way in the darkness.
Fill my hollowness and emptiness with your love.

Most of all, continue to dwell within me
because your gracious presence is all I ever need.
It is enough to bring me through the deepest canyons
and the darkest crevices of my life.

Divine Companion,
draw me to your heart where wisdom resides
and daily let me choose to follow in your way.