I love sacred poetry, and particularly Persian writings from the Middle Ages. There’s one poet in particular whose words align with the song in my heart, and that is Hafiz of Shiraz, a 14th century Sufi mystic. Though he lived in a different era, his words resonate in me as if whispered for the first time only a breath ago. This is one of his many, wonderful works, translated by Daniel Ladinsky in his compilation, The Gift.
If God
Invited you to a party
And said,
“Everyone
In the ballroom tonight
Will be my special
Guest,”
How would you treat them
When you
Arrived?
Indeed, indeed!
And Hafiz knows
There is no one in this world
Who
Is not upon
His Jewelled Dance
Floor
I invite you to read the poem slowly, several times over, letting your subconscious explore what’s captured in the words. For me, there are two key moments in which meaning is imparted. After setting up the premise of being personally invited to a party by God, Hafiz asks a telling question about the other special guests:
How would you then treat them when you arrived?
As so often happens when reading Hafiz, the question arrests me, eliciting a deep personal enquiry, to which my honest response is that I would treat the other special guests as equals.
If we are all God’s special, invited guests, then we are all equal before God, whether saint or sinner, success or failure, rich or poor, or any other division humans might identify as important. If we, together, are God’s special guests, we stand on the most elevated and yet entirely level playing field. There’s no need or room for pride, no reason to insist on a place of honour, because honour has already been given abundantly to every person.
True, dignified equality is such a rare commodity in this world that Hafiz’ simple premise and question leads to a conclusion no society (or church?) is willing to make a reality – that in the light of God’s grace, we ought to treat each other equally. It is no wonder that the poet, at least suspecting the conclusions readers will have reached, felt inspired to pause on that revelation:
Indeed, indeed!
The second moment of imparted meaning builds on the first:
There is no one in this world who is not upon His Jewelled Dance Floor
What a thought! We live in societies divided by politics, race, sexuality, gender, financial success, class, and a myriad of other points of contention and difference. And yet, if we pause on the singular idea that there is nobody unwelcome at God’s party – indeed, we are all already there – these divisions fade like morning mist.
There is no-one God is uninterested in, nobody who doesn’t have his full, mindful attention, no person unworthy of love, no villain beyond the reach of forgiveness, no isolated individual unfit for inclusion.
I hope you, dear reader, will know as you read this that you stand on God’s Jewelled Dance Floor as his special, invited guest, along with the amassed members of the human race, each of whom is included, invited, and honoured by God. Even your enemies are thus.
Indeed, indeed!
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