Recently, an interviewee on public radio's "Texas Standard" said, "There is nothing to do." (...long silence... then the words of Jesus ring in the quiet of my memory) "Do you want to be made whole?"

Jesus asked the paralyzed man near the Bethesda pool, "Do you want to be made whole?" (Jn 5:6)

Apparently the radio interviewee was paralyzed in her well-formed rut tracks and hadn't considered nurturing and poising all three centers toward wholeness. Paralysis sits at the end stage of muscle atrophy, not only of the body but also of the mind and heart.

Did you know that there are three stages of muscle atrophy? First a general weakening, which can be restored with exercise; in the next stage, the person needs assistance for mobility but function can be restored with proper exercise; and lastly is complete atrophy or paralysis which is actually cell death and cannot be reversed. I’m not a physician, but I believe this applies to the heart and mind as well.

She said there is nothing to do. What about reading a historical novel to exercise the mind? What about making a daily Gratitude List for the heart? What about online Essentrics exercise to unlock the body? Laugh every day? What do you desire?

Before Jesus healed, he asked the man by the pool if wholeness is what he desired. If we desire to achieve wholeness, we first have to say yes. Then there is plenty we can do.

*Cynthia Bourgeault from The Wisdom Way of Knowing in "Friends of Silence" Oct 2020.

There has been a lot of erosion this year. Rains from hurricanes have caused devastating mudslides in Central America. The coronavirus pandemic has washed away vacation plans and ordinary schooldays; swept away jobs and businesses and lives. As the meme on social media says, “This is not the year to get everything you want. This is the year to appreciate everything you have.”

There has been a lot of erosion this year, but not all erosion is destructive. As anyone who has been to the Grand Canyon knows, erosion can create great beauty. I was reminded of this by David Whyte’s poem, “Where Many Rivers Meet.” After describing rain falling from clouds, and mountain streams rushing past tree roots, he writes,

and the mouths of the rivers sing into the sea,

the stories buried in the mountains

give out into the sea

and the sea remembers

and sings back

I wonder, what new songs will emerge from this year of erosion? What will you sing back?

The poem remains unfinished; I have tried several times to add to the quatrain, but nothing seems to take the poem any further, or any deeper.

Maybe it does not need to. Maybe treasuring the beauty of that moment is all that is needed. In this frustrating year, a year filled with so much loss, take time to appreciate all that you have. Take time each day to stimulate your body, your mind, and your spirit.

Perhaps you might consider writing your own poem – or finishing mine. Draw a picture, sing a song. Build something, bake something, create something new. By God’s grace, great beauty can be revealed by erosion.

Please share Reflection freely by forwarding any issue (forward in its entirety), but remember to respect copyright laws by not altering, copying, or reproducing Reflection, text or photos, whole or in part, without written permission.

Copyright (c) 2020 Soul Windows Ministries