In the companion piece there is a stop sign. But no stop signs here, just a long windy road, reminding me of my own journey.
I'm currently way back there, closer to the horizon, but we can't see the end. It's hidden. It's mysterious.
In this weird, sometimes terrible some times exciting, sometimes over the top stressful (and all of this on the same day) time, I've been turning more and more to spiritual writings. Have to be careful because some of it is dogmatic and some of it is crazy woo-woo but contemplating the mystery is what I enjoy doing these days.
Richard Rohr says in his book, Falling Forward , that Jesus reminded us there are two groups who want to avoid contemplating all this mysteriousness - the very rich and the very religious. The gospels are full of these folks trying to get us to "follow the rules" and by that they mean their interpretation of the rules. Jesus doesn't go for it.
So now we're watching scary numbers of people die sometimes lonely and sometimes violent deaths - every single day -and it's hard to make sense of it.
Some of our great poets have entertained the mystery of the afterlife concept. For instance The Eagles huge hit song, "Hotel California" is a journey into the dark unknown we sometimes like to call Hell. And what it takes to get there. It's a terrifying look at the underbelly of excess, greed and materialism.
On a dark desert highway
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night.
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise
Bring your alibis
Last thing I remember
I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
"Relax," said the night man
"We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave."
Ok, so I'm hopefully, not on a dark highway. I hope none of us are. And I know, despite what the hotel night man says, that if we are on the wrong highway, we can turn around anywhere along the way. I know we've not done what we have needed to do about warding off dangerous diseases, about caring for our sick planet and about caring for our neighbors as ourselves. But some of us have been trying. And many more of us around the globe are waking up and, despite great suffering, doing the right thing.
Like you, I am horrified every day. I am encouraged every day.
But, I am tired. As Rohr says in finishing up Falling Upward: In the second half of the spiritual life, you are not making choices as much as you are being guided, taught and led...you have found your sacred dance.
***
