An addition to the BHT, this time not of a scripture, per se, but of St. Augustine’s quote from his Confessions (originally written in Latin) about his late and shocking realization of God/Love.

It took me so long to love you—my God!—
your Beauty, so old and so new!
So so long!
Just look at it!
You were within me the whole time, but I was outside myself,
and I was looking for you all over out there in the world.

In my loveless state, I rushed around foolishly searching
in all the fine things that you made.
Meanwhile, you were right here in me,
but I wasn’t aware of you!
By digging into all these external things
I was surely kept far from you,
even though if these things were not in you
they could not be at all.

And yet, you beckoned to me, crying out to me,
blowing open my deaf ears.
Your lightning flashed on me
the brilliance of the sun,
obliterating my blind eyes.
You exhaled your sweet fragrance,
and I breathed it in, deeply.
Now I pant after you.
I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst for you.
You caressed me softly,
and now I’m on fire for your Peace. 🔥