Wednesday Wisdom | Desiderata – The Devotional Guy™

Monday, I was introduced to Desiderata, a poem written by Max Enhrmann in 1927, when he was 55. My introduction to this age old poem came thanks to a new song by R.E.M frontman, Michael Stipe.

Apparently Desiderata is a Latin for things desired.

Desiderata

Words for Life by Max Enhrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

I’ve been thinking a lot about writing in recent days, including having conversations with friends about writing. So, this poem written by Enhrmann really stuck a chord with me.

I’ve wrestled with what Christians can write about, which I think has to do more with the motivations of one’s heart than being defined by genre.

I’ve also revisited what I read as a kid and wondered how the books of my childhood influenced me. My paternal grandmother gifted me copies of Max and Moritz and Struwwelpeter, two children’s books.

What does any of that have to do with Max Enhrmann and his poem?

Ehrmann’s Desiderata isn’t merely a poem about tranquility or positive thinking. To me, his poem is the work of someone who spent years observing life and the people who live it. His poem reflects a lifetime of paying attention.

As creatives, we are students of the human condition. We notice. We listen. We collect moments, conversations, joys, fears, contradictions, and hopes.

We pay attention.

Creatives are formed long before we create. As Christians, our job is to share the truth. We can communicate truth through a photograph or a painting, a poem or novel, or a simple reflection focusing on a nearly hundred-year-old poem that unexpectedly stops us in our tracks.

Life is about paying attention to God, to people, and to the world He loves while we invite others to do the same. Genre-bending, I know.

You can listen to Stipe’s rendition here.