For a day when you feel unloved
a poem by Mechtild of Magdeburg
We all have those times when we feel unloved or unappreciated, rejected or lonely. I hope you save this poem for the next time you experience this. Imagine it written on a piece of paper, folded, and carried in a pocket close to you every day. You don’t find that you need to open it; when you start to feel sad or alone, simply touching the paper reminds you that you are loved and valued. The paper grows soft over time, until there is a day that just devastates you. Then you unfold the page, slowly and carefully because it is both priceless and fragile. And you read this love note from the Divine.
How God answers the soul It is my nature that makes me love you often, For I am love itself. It is my longing that makes me love you intensely, For I yearn to be loved from the heart. It is my eternity that makes me love you long, For I have no end.
In 2023 and 2024, I’ve spent many hours asking the question, “What do I believe?” I have few firm answers yet, but here is one: I believe in Divinity. And here is another: I believe that the essence of Divinity, the substance of Divinity, the nature of Divinity is love.
My friend, you are loved. You are loved not only by many people, who choose to love you, but you are loved also by the Divine, who loves you every moment, every day, before you were born and after you will die. Loves you from the hairs on your head to the soles of your feet, from your greatest accomplishments to your most obnoxious and unlovable behavior. Loves you no matter what, and pours that love into you like the energy you need for survival.
Take a deep breath now, blow your nose, and wipe the tears from your eyes. You’ve got this. Fold the page back up again—it’s okay if you touch the words with a brief caress before they are hidden again—and place it back into your pocket. There it will be until the next time you need it, your love note, Divinity’s answer to your soul.
You are loved. O my friend, you are loved.
This poem is by Mechtild of Magdeburg, a Beguine mystic from the 13th century, translated by Oliver Davies for the book Beguine Spirituality, 1989.