Entrances to Mystery are everywhere.The possibility is all the time.
Even at unlikely times and through unlikely places.
Nothing is beneath the dignity of becoming an entrance.
AND MOSES LOOKED AND BEHOLD THE BUSH WAS ON FIRE BUT THE BUSH WAS NOT CONSUMED
Exodus 3:2
How long must someone look at a burning bush to know whether or not it is being consumed? Longer than most people look at anything. More than just to see it. Or to use it. Long enough to know if it will be for them an entrance. Such a man was Moses. And likewise anyone who is able to gaze on a place long enough without being distracted.
You do not need to go anywhere to witness Mystery. You do not have to become anyone other than yourself to find entrances. You are already there. You are already everything that you need to be. Entrances are everywhere and all the time.
Adapted from HONEY FROM THE ROCK, Rabbi L. Kushner
Jewish Lights Pub.1990
We have all encountered far more Mystery than we have noticed, more Mystery than we have allowed to nurture us, inspire us and transform us…. More Mystery than we have allowed to strengthen us. In the familiar setting of scientific expertise and cognitive explanation it is easy to trade mystery for mastery and allow “I don’t know” to become a statement of inadequacy and even shame. In such settings Mystery may even be considered unreal.
As a professional I was trained to view the unknown as a sort of emergency, like a hemorrhage and to respond with immediate action. But Mystery does not require action, Mystery requires our attention. It requires us to listen, to talk with one another, to wonder.
I first came to Hospice in 1981. At that time it was common for Hospice teams to set aside time each week for telling our stories, for wondering together about the things we could not explain and sharing a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to witness them. But that was 35 years ago. Over time the commitment to wonder together about the deep meaning of our work has gradually been replaced by more mundane concerns. We still meet weekly but now we discuss cost containment and compliance with Medicare regulations.
But what if sharing experiences of the Mystery in our work is a source of personal strength and a protection against compassion fatigue?
What if people who wonder together do not burn out?
What if the pursuit of knowledge and competence that dominates our culture has impoverished our lives?
In the presence of Mystery we grow not only in knowledge but also in wisdom. In my experience the questions I have found along the way and carry with me have enriched my life far more than any answers. Even the most profound answers have often turned out to be provisional, a temporary stopping place in an ongoing and infinitely mysterious journey
Stories are the ancient container for meaning. Recently educators have become aware that storytelling allows the deepening of personal meaning, calling and professional satisfaction and is a potent antidote to spiritual and emotional exhaustion. This upcoming workshop will be an opportunity to share our stories again, to wonder together at the things that are beyond explanation, to draw inspiration from them and from each other and to remember that witnessing and experiencing things that cannot be measured may be a doorway into what is most real and most enduring.
Looking forward to seeing you at the workshop. Still some places left!
Blessings,
RACHEL NAOMI REMEN MD
Dear Rachel,
Many decades ago, before I became a therapist, my mother’s poor health led me to seek emotional support. I am grateful for having met a therapist, who emphasized that being present with someone about to die is a privilege. While I would not have chosen otherwise, there was little time to prepare myself for the heart-wrenching experience.
Recently, a client and author of children’s books, toward the end of her life expressed her anxiety about needing to continue giving by donating her books for children. Also, with gifts for our support group, which became as family. We comforted her at chemo treatments, during every painful procedure, and felt privileged to be able to continue the contributions she so wanted to make. Personally, to ease her distress at leaving a life she felt unfinished, I made a listing of all her accomplishments and read it to her repeatedly, helping to keep us both afloat.
She, in turn, left a letter for each member of our group, filled with something uniquely vital and loving. My gift was a cherished poem, which she had a famed artist create to her specifications. I share it here in the belief that others also might find it meaningful.
As a child, her saving grace was in swinging and feeling the wind on her face: something she relished until her breath stopped. During her dedication, our group approached a set of play yard swings. Although there was neither a breeze nor anyone else around, we were enthralled as one lone swing reached high for the sky. The mystery of death felt by all. In unison, we spoke her name and felt her presence. In that moment, Joanne was with us.
Each loss has for us a life lesson that we can discover after a time of healing. My mother’s loss gave me an enduring strength to rely on and taught me that I could live without her. Joanne’s life and death carried the model of grace that our group celebrates, confident that one day we, too, can be so blessed.
The sun is shining;
The wind and rain has been.
There are flowers on the tree;
The fruit harvest to follow.
Thanks be given!
“ -Joanne Faye
Thank you for sharing this lovely story, Joanne. I am struck by a sense of hope & longing expressed in the last line: “Joanne’s life & death carried the model of grace that our group celebrates, confident that one day, we too, can be so blessed.” Perhaps you are referring to when your death comes, you trust you all will be as blessed as Joanne. But what came through loudly to me when I read your words was how blessed you all are right now–each of you have been blessed w/ a glimpse of the Mysterious connectedness between the Spirit realm & the Earthly realm– that Joanne’s essence did not die, but lives on & is more apparent than you may have thought possible. May your group know that blessing now & each day you live. BLessings to you all.
Thank you for your thoughtful and compassionate reply. I did respond earlier although may have posted incorrectly. Mystery has always been a part of my life and I imagine yours and other readers also. Rachel has provided a forum for us to openly join in. Maybe others have similar mysteries and are reluctant to share. Many accounts have been written about near death experiences; this one was my mother’s. After succumbing to the anticipated coma, we gathered around to be with her when she took her last breath. Suddenly, she bolted up and exclaimed, “They tried to take me but I wasn’t ready, Everyone was there waiting for me!” The Drs.were stunned and mystified. My mother proclaimed she wanted to have a party and have all her friends there to celebrate. Friends quickly arrived, laughter filled the room, and she passed as quickly as she had awakened. Blessings to you and all.