Phillip and Rebecca Mefford

Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi : The Philosopher There is a gray area where philosophy spills over to theology. Nevertheless, these poetic lines from Mevlana express a longing of the soul that he was convinced of. His non-traditional viewpoints on religion and humanity have contributed to the generally more tolerant attitudes of the Turkish people. In the silence between your heartbeat bides a summons. Do you hear it? Name it if you must, or leave it forever nameless, but why pretend it is not there? -- What in your life is calling you, When all the noise is silenced, The meetings adjourned... The lists laid aside, And the Wild Iris blooms By itself In the dark forest... What still pulls on your soul? -- There is a void in your soul,       ready to be filled. You feel it, don't you? You feel the separation       from the Beloved. Invite Him to fill you up,       embrace the fire.

 Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi : The Sufi Mystic After his death, Mevlana’s followers began a sect commonly known in the West as the Whirling Dervishes. Their ceremonies revolve around a spiritual dance called the Sema, representing the spiritual ascent toward truth. The orbiting dancers are also thought to symbolize the circling of the Ka’aba as those who are visiting Mecca for the Hajj do, performing a sacred duty in an effort to draw closer to God. Daylight, full of small dancing particles and the one great turning, our souls are dancing with you, without feet, they dance. Can you see them when I whisper in your ear? --- We search for Him here and there while looking right at Him. Sitting by His side we ask, “O Beloved, where is the Beloved?” Enough with such questions! – Let silence take you to the core of life. All your talk is worthless When compared to one whisper of the Beloved.