Ron Arms
Ron first became acquainted with Church of the Saviour through the writing of Elizabeth O’Connor, know to many as “Betty O.” When he moved to Northern Virginia in 1985 he scheduled a lunch with her at Potter’s House to ask where in Northern Virginia he could find a community similar to what she described. Her reply was classic, “Stop making excuses and come to 2025 on Sunday.” After visiting several Church of the Saviour communities his family opted for Seekers. He took several courses in the School of Christian Living, began writing weekly spiritual reports, attended several silent retreats at Dayspring and participated in other community gatherings there and at 2025 as well. Ron joined mission groups, preached a few sermons and eventually became a Steward. That became a short-lived decision when the community decided to buy property and move to Takoma Park. The parting was difficult, but among the many things that Seekers does well is letting people go when they are ready to depart, often graciously and with style. Ron has continued friendships that started during that time of his life. And when he decided to write a book, he found a talented and caring editor and cover designer at Seekers as well. The rest as they say is history.
Ron shares:
My writing comes from years of journaling, a daily practice now for more than half a century. At my latest silent retreat I came across this bit of wisdom, “Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, throw my journals in the lake.” I work from the premise that writing is editing again and again. In this process of listening to the silence between the words, and the surprising wisdom that careful attention to words can nourish I find occasional nuggets that I want to share with others. This retrospective is one such effort. In contradictions and paradoxes it seeks to marry the delight of exclamation points with the caution and care of question marks, using the interrobang as its model. It is as much about questions as it is answers. Finding the right answers often involves working with the right questions. My time at Seekers aided that process which is still ongoing
Ron’s Book
A
Perfectly Flawed Effort. Washington DC: Opus, Politics & Prose, 2012. Ordering Information (Also available as a PDF from rprarms244@verizon.net.)
There is value in doing nothing. There is virtue in being quiet. As one of my meditation teachers put it, “Don’t just do something, sit there.” It is important to understand that while tangibles can be measured in numbers, the meaning, the direction, and the significance of any effort will remain intangible. As the financial planners put it, park your capital and check your values and your goals. Let who you are determine how you use what you have. Learn to wait. Eternity is any moment opened with patience. This is how gentleness, softness, and relaxation have put my efforts to best use.
