A snail may not have legs, but a snail’s pace does take place step by step. First, the snail secretes an adhesive with its lower body, which it then attaches to with the same lower body and pulls it forward.
What would it profit man to go through life in the same way? Not to take a step without first having made a comparable pre-movement: that of the conscious realizing that our soul – in the words of the psalmist – ‘sticks you behind’ (63:9). Or, conversely, from the conscious realization that everything that is not rooted in our connection with the ground of things is: a loose bag. Lots of noise, little impact.
Also in the past week a lot has happened that we can find anything and everything about. It seems to me to be a question of how much weight that makes sense as long as we don’t always take the time first for that pre-moving ‘sticking step’: the acknowledgment of knowing our firmness in the mystery that we are unable to comprehend. Could it not even be the case that the most causal cause of all disasters is precisely this: a much too high speed of life, so that far too little of our actions is internally secured?
This seems to me the ideal maximum speed: ‘You seek my heart’ – step. “You hang it on” – step. “Your hand will continue to hold me” – step.
Walking without more is faster yes. But whether the runner reaches Paradise before the snail…?
