We make time for this like it's important, this idea of creating a group composed of people from all religious/spiritual walks. So far it's just the Jew, Buddhist/Jew, and me, the Sufi/Questioner/Whatever-unveils-truther. We are pregnant with ideas, we are taking the time to incubate and delivery will occur when the time is right. Delivery meaning opening up the group for others to join us.
I'm finding some hard places in me and it doesn't feel good. I think that it doesn't feel good because I make the judgment that I shouldn't have hard places. Investigate the hard places. Hmmm... not truly hard. Fear there. Standing on a cliff and someone else over there has a different way of navigating it. Does that mean my way is wrong? Dammit! I must be right! But what if...??? Being right, being wrong. Neither feel so good. Gotta laugh at the strange notion that, ultimately, there even is a right and wrong way to navigate this journey.
Mostly it's amazing that the three of us move through the hours together, sharing diversity, learning, banging up against things and trying to figure out whether to go through, around, or over. Not feeling beat up at all, but instead noticing we're somewhat bigger than before.
That's an important dialogue you had with your Self about "hard places." When I was young, I did everything I could to avoid such dialogues. In middle age, when I was in seminary, I was forced to have such dialogues with mu Self and later to bring them into the lives of others whom I pastored.
ReplyDeleteSooooo, I am glad that you 3 odd ones are already beginning to reap the benefits of spending time in dialogue with each other. Blessings on all of your furture sessions.
You are very brave. I haven't necessarily closed the doors on all my hard places . . . but writing about them??? Yet following your journey is very interesting. Thanks for the second edition of the Trio.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nick! It's an adventure! (Both the inner dialogs and the outer ones!)
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking part in the journey, Anonymous!
ReplyDeleteI'm just starting out and reading this Carol. I've no excuses really but I've not visited when I should have done. Thanks for sharing. xxx
ReplyDeleteJust another quick comment: I love the header pic!
ReplyDeleteDaffy,
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that you made it here at the perfect time. Glad to hear from you!
Thanks Nick! It's a baby mountain goat that we saw at Glacier National Park this past summer. We watched him for a very long time.
ReplyDeletecarol,
ReplyDeletei wanted to thank you for visiting my blog and offering such wonderful comforting words. i really appreciated it.
interestingly, a fellow blogger just recently posted about going to a meeting where jews, christians and muslims met to discuss commonalities and differences in a very peaceful setting. everybody apparently left feeling very enriched.
Hi Foam!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. And thank YOU for blogging your experiences so eloquently and candidly.
I can understand how your friend left the interfaith experience feeling enriched. I feel that way in our little threesome and I'm looking forward to the day when we have many more spiritual paths represented in our group.