Spiritus Monday: Be the Lamp!

"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder." Rumi (1207-1273)

I really like this quotation—could definitely be the morning offering on Facebook. It’s a little service I provide, my version of “Good morning” or “Yep, another day is unfolding”. Every morning, rarely later than 6:30. However, to that point, I have asked a few friends to wait until Day 3 without a morning quotation before calling the authorities.

Hey! I’m retired. Might take a day, you know.

As to my benefit, once or twice a week a name of a student or a colleague or a friend seems to come out of nowhere and likes the morning’s selection. Sometimes I send along a hello or message, sometimes I just check Facebook to see what they are up to, maybe like a picture or an update—a sort of “Hey” in passing.

But, back to Rumi. I got a little twitch, a little speck of orange on my validity radar. Why? The alliteration. What would be the odds that Rumi’s 3 nouns would translate in such fashion?

Random detail: Pakistan translates as Land of the Pure in Persian.

Three online translators clearly show three different beginnings to the Persian words. That’s good. So, just a random blip of my own making—how typical. But, ever onward, Skeptic.

Even better, goodreads has it as “Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd”.

Like a shepherd, so the onus is on me to care for, to tend to the needs of, to retrieve—maybe to sling a stone at a wolf. (Had to go there.) Light the way, rescue from the storm, provide a leg up. 

As we all are lambs, perhaps if we all would be shepherds….