Dancing in the Wilderness

Dancing and wilderness seem to be opposite realities, but in this time of necessary social distancing which in itself is a paradoxical term, we need to discover once again that the human spirit is capable of continuing the Dance of life.

For Christians throughout the world, the Season of Lent has just begun and is a reminder of the journey into the wilderness to which all Christians are called.

Because of the Coronavirus, ALL of us, Christian or not have been drawn into a wilderness unprecedented in our lives. This can be a gift or a curse.

As a gift, it is providing an opportunity for us to go deeper and to take a “long loving look at the real” that is ours now.  The “real” is a mixture of suffering, death, loss of freedoms once enjoyed, and on the other hand, a time for reading into the meaning of our lives, to discovering our passion for life, and how we are called to live that life to the full.

The invitation to the dance of life involves a long look at aging which involves considering:

• entitlement: how deeply can we let go of it?

• entitlement to work?

• entitlement to status?

• to being productive?

• to body control?

• to the movement of limbs?

• to eating quietly and cleanly?

• to controlling anger

• to understanding my own responses

• to drive a car

• to walk long distances

• to memory?

We know in our own lived experience that we are dealing with these realities and we also know that by living in the moment we can celebrate who and how we are.  All we need to do is to choose to do just that.  The Dance in the wilderness need not be a dance of doom but one of delight if we but choose the steps.  It may be writing poetry, or journaling, or meaningful reading. It is the invitation to go into the wilderness in a way that we never have done before individually or as a society.... very mindfully. 

The wilderness on the political scene we have witnessed in the last 4 years in the U.S.  Silence was consent to all that was done or NOT done and as a result, core values of decency, honesty, respect, and truthfulness were thrown aside. Where has all the goodness gone?

We witness blatant racism, white supremacy in many countries, including Canada in its relationship with Indigenous peoples and in some cases with refugees.

We must face the massive climate change which threatens to bring the human species to extinction.

The list could go on and on, but in fact, we ARE in the wilderness and we need to talk about it. We need to dance a new step of openness, togetherness.

The Coronavirus and the variants are now facing the whole world.  It is interesting how it is now on the front burner of government agendas.  The time of silence or denial is over in a world crisis.  We are in this together.

So, let’s begin a NEW Dance of LIFE together.

-Sister Kathleen Lichti, csj

The UnReal Reality

During the years of my hospital chaplaincy, I frequently wondered which is more difficult to bear, a physical or a mental illness.  As distortions of reality are common symptoms of many psychiatric conditions, whenever I engaged with patients struggling with mental illness, it was challenging to grasp what their perception of reality was.  While I respected and acknowledged what they considered to be real, it was vital to get some sense of what was real and what was distorted due to their illness.  

Even for those of us not suffering from any psychiatric condition, it can be a challenge to face situations where it can be difficult to differentiate between what is real and what is not.  We are all familiar, with ‘fake news’ à la Trump.  Ad nauseam on social media and elsewhere these days we have been inundated with false information leaving us unsure about what is or is not real. Take advertising of cosmetics, for instance.  In a variety of different ways, both subtle and not so subtle, we are plied with gimmicks about the magical properties of cosmetics.  More than ever before, our world is rife with distorted realities, virtual realities, photoshopped realities, to just name a few. 

Yes, of course, we all know distorted or false perceptions of reality have always been part of the human condition. Just think how often we not only tell ourselves lies but also know from experience that we see things as we are not as they are.  At times, we choose to see things through rose coloured glasses, as perhaps we might do when we speak about someone in a eulogy highlighting all the good of the deceased, creating an incomplete picture of that person. At other times, we might speak unkindly about someone’s faults or weaknesses, failing to paint the full, true picture of who that person is.

“we see things as we are, not as they are”

If we own that even under normal circumstances our perceptions of reality can be distorted, just think of the impact this almost yearlong pandemic has had on our perception of reality.  We keep talking about this new reality of our lived experience permeating our entire world.  So, what is this real new reality?  Naturally, the way you see it is not the same as I see it, for we see things as we are, not as they are. For people everywhere, during this pandemic, the world feels bleaker.  Though so many of us are tired of the miserable drudgery of unchanging days and restless nights, for us in the northern hemisphere midwinter adds to the bleakness of our days. In other parts of the world where folks enjoy the warmth and sunshine of midsummer, things may possibly not look quite as bleak. 

““What we do see depends mainly on what we look for.”
John Lubbock”

That things beyond our control hugely impact our lives, is a given. However, as we know, we still have a choice in how we view even those things beyond our control.  Though I am tempted to borrow Shakespeare’s phrase to dub my situation as ‘the winter of my discontent’ (or should that read the year of my discontent) might there be another way of looking at it? No, not through rose coloured glasses but rather with a mindset that prompts me to remember that “What we do see depends mainly on what we look for.” (John Lubbock) Granted, that is easier said than done, especially during these days of the pandemic that can dredge up all sorts of negative thoughts that blind us to what is real. 

Our minds can play tricks on us, as can our feelings and it is helpful to remind ourselves during these trying times of distorted realities, not to believe everything our minds and feelings tell us.  I have a fondness for A. A. Milne’s character Eeyore with his low mood, distaste for social situations, and not being in the best frame of mind much of the time.  He tends to show a distrust for others always expecting the worst out of people and situations. Does his personality perhaps reflect how we feel off and on during this pandemic?  I certainly have had my moments of such a distorted view of life during this pandemic.  In moments like these, it can feel as if an emotional contra-band sneaks into one’s mind, threatening to take over. The million-dollar question is, how do we extract ourselves from the clutches of these false perceptions? During these difficult times, when we at times fail to see reality for what it really is, there may not be an easy, instant remedy. With grace, patience, and the loving support of a beloved soul friend, however, we can restore our inner equilibrium and vision to help us see more clearly.

True, in our lifetime we will never have a perfect, unbiased vision of reality.  Since we bring our personality, our history, our life experience to all the situations we encounter, they colour the perception of everything we perceive. We can only hope that, as St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Now that which we see is as if we were looking in a broken mirror. But then we will see everything. Now I know only a part. But then I will know everything in a perfect way.” (1 Cor. 13:12) For now, however, let us hold onto the promise in John's prologue that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overwhelm it.  That is a promise we all need to see fulfilled.

-Sister Magdalena Vogt, cps

Knockdown

Knockdown

“…In the wilderness,

Prepare the way of the Lord.”

Is.40.3

Prophet Isaiah seems so fitting

 during this time of lockdown and concern.

Indeed, we are isolated

and thrown onto our own devices

to cope day by day.

Prayer and more prayer if one answer,

and hearken us back to our forefathers

who hung on with trust

in the Providence of God.

Is there a lesson here for us?

- Sr. Eileen Foran, 95

-in lockdown -

Come on, Folks

Come on folks, we can do this….

United Nations Covid response

I feel like Rick Mercer wanting to rant a bit concerning the Covid Pandemic.  We have been on this journey for eight months.  In the beginning, we all felt it would pass like the flu.  But that has not been the case.  This virus, the enemy we can’t see, can kill us.  But why do we seem so ready to tempt fate and ignore the very simple and possible guidance we hear day after day about washing hands, social distancing, wearing a face mask, and stay home?  It is not perfect, but these behaviours can make a huge difference.  I don’t understand why so many seem to ignore or push against this simple guidance.

Those who claim these guidelines are violating my rights, I want to ask what if exercising your rights are endangering me or others around me?  Our rights are not absolute, nor are they only personal.  These human rights assume we live in communal settings and we have to balance the personal and the communal.  We must work together. 

Are these guidelines inconvenient?  Yes, sometimes they are, but we are strong enough and mature enough to weigh what will benefit all of us.   Are we tired of the impact this virus has had on our lives?  Yes, but if we value our own lives, and the lives of loved ones, and neighbours in the towns and cities and rural areas around us, we can encourage each other to keep living in safety. And we know that many scientists working in labs in Canada and other countries are working long hours to find a vaccine to help all of us.  The motto we see on TV in our schools, at our health care facilities, and in our businesses, and written on sidewalks in chalk by children – WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER – are not empty words.  We need to listen to each other, see the multiple perspectives that need to be considered, and we can hang in together until a vaccine is available to help us resume our usual activities.  In the meantime, help each other at home, call a neighbor or friend and family member, facetime or zoom someone you care about, and encourage each other.  And as we all stay close to home in the weeks ahead, we will get through this.  And those of us for whom faith is important, we can turn to those spiritual centres within and find some peace and calm to help us through the day.  Really all we have is the present moment and it can teach us a lot about ourselves, and it is full of many blessings.

-Sister Joan Atkinson, CSJ