in one of his little spiritual autobiographies, the sacred journey i think, frederick buechner talks about “a time in between a time.” if memory serves, he describes a time in between a time as the space that takes place in between the margins of tragedy and hope, darkness and light, ethereal promise and earthy fulfillment. buechner believes that the way we muddle through these middle spaces almost determines how we will react and respond to the more startling and kairos-tinged times.
i suppose that’s a long winded way of admitting that i am currently living in a time in between a time. at this moment i am not overwhelmed by the many personal and professional deaths that have been as common this year* as bloated corpses are on an iraqi highway. however, i am also not in a space where i am leaning into and receiving the life that lies before me. in this tenuous position between the polarities i am learning to listen because there is precious little i have to say and i am longing to be obedient to Jesus lest i continue to add to the smoldering wreckage that has resulted from my disobedience.
so that’s where i’m at. i hope this post provides a little orientation for those i stumble into and perhaps walk forward with during this ordinary season.
* for the record, I am including the cardinals in this group.
1 comment:
I think it's a good thing to be able to figure out what season one lives in and how to interpret it, thus what to expect next.
I think the seasonal pairs in Ecclesiastes are not an accident.
(Cue Byrds' song)
"a time to kill, a time to heal"
...not that I'm an expert in such matters by any means. Still trying to figure out what season I'm in, etc. But...like all seasons...I know this won't last forever. Woo-hoo.
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