Tom Ehrich recently wrote, "Faith happens in the particular. One person has an experience of the divine presence. It feels a certain way. That becomes his or her story about God. Another person has an entirely different experience and reaches a different conclusion.
If we were wise and humble, we would share our particulars and marvel at a God who can be so much to so many."
Then yesterday I was listening to an NPR interview of an Indian author. The interviewer asked her about mystery in her life and pressed her to give a personal example. She reluctantly told a story about when she went on a retreat to the Himalayas and was left stranded, separated from her traveling companions. Night was near and she was afraid that she would freeze to death, but she was too exhausted to continue on. An elderly man suddenly appeared and assisted her to cross the glacier stream and arrive to her camp, then disappearing before she could express her gratitude. Providence, coincidence, synchronicity? It doesn't matter because that is her story.
May I honor everyone's stories today!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
The importance of stories
Every Wednesday evening I meet with a group of people to talk about the important things in life. Every year we start out with each person in the group giving a "spiritual autobiography", and last night was my turn. As you might imagine, it is quite powerful to hear the other stories of the people in the group, but perhaps the most amazing is that it is also powerful to share my own story. I think human beings are wired to connect with each other most deeply through stories. Just think - when somebody shares an idea with you, it often comes home most deeply when they cite a story to illustrate their point.
To all those beings whose stories have intersected with me in the past 55 years - family, friends, not so friends, co-workers, strangers, animals - I am deeply grateful. Thank you! I'm not always ready to hear what I need to hear but my wish for today is that I recognize the goodness in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me today.
To all those beings whose stories have intersected with me in the past 55 years - family, friends, not so friends, co-workers, strangers, animals - I am deeply grateful. Thank you! I'm not always ready to hear what I need to hear but my wish for today is that I recognize the goodness in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me today.
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