What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared
to what lies within Us
Summer is most certainly for young adults one of the most challenging and exciting times of the year. University has wrapped up and the prospect of using one's skills to find employment or just securing a job at a resort holds great promise of loads of fun; some money; and meeting new people.
A time of transition, expectation, and hope is what many anticipate. For many it becomes a reality and when September winds blow by many youth are able to look back with great gratitude to tell tales of their new adventures.
In these hard economic times though this reality is not so secure for all and these dreams can be squashed as the months of June come close and employment is still a yard stick away or the reality of taking a job with little or no adventure just to make money sets in.
It is natural that feelings of disillusionment and concern may arise. But they do not necessarily have to stay. The mystics of the Christian tradition tell us that the art of “being still” in the midst of transitions that are not necessarily entirely of our own making can indeed hold deep – sometimes even deeper—times of truth, knowledge, and preparation for living a life rooted in faith, hope, and peace.
Right now I seem to be facing one of those challenging times. It has yet to feel like a gift – but the reality of our faith is that we are given the power to make choices. Indeed, I believe it is through God’s grace – accessing that living powerful -- the life giving spirit – that helps us make those choices. It seems to me it is like a spiral. The more we become attune to God’s spirit alive in and around us the more we are able to gently and sometimes very slowly move toward practices and ways of “being” that help us access that healing energy even more. And when we cannot do it by ourselves, the beauty of being Christian for me is the inherently communal aspect of it. This means that even in these times of unexpected transition where we ourselves feel terribly inept at doing the practice well – if we allow the community to know our needs they also can hold us in prayer that edges us gently toward the places of hope and healing.
In a world that values achievement, success, competition, and leadership above others this art of being is for me anyway one of the most challenging places to be. I get that. We all have skills and want to use them in some productive way. When that is not possible the way we had hoped – well the art of being might just be the only thing that will help us find a new way – delve into those practices and be!
I pray this time that all summer students will get employment that hold some fun and meaning and potential money making. We all deserve that and of course it gives back to the world. But even if that is the case, this art of being present to the divine that is around may well be the greatest achievement we can master as Christians. Certainly our Buddhist brothers and sisters and many other traditions have done a great job at this. May whatever you find yourselves doing and being this summer help you and our community root itself ever more deeply in the way of the cosmic Christ of compassion, life, hope, and love. A summer dream!
