Awakening.
Well I know I had it all on the line
But don’t just sit with folded hands and become blind
Cause even when there is no star in sight
You’ll always be my only guiding light
~ Lyrics by Mumford and Sons
lent 6. From sleepwalking to awakening
The focused, delimited 40 days of Lent compel us to wake up to the larger narrative of our lives. And there is no larger narrative than the reality that we begin our human journeys asleep to ourselves… and often end them mostly the same way. But in between, we face the most profound divine invitation of existence: to wake up to what is Real.
How do we sleepwalk through life? We follow the lead of others. Depending on peer group, we chase material accumulation… or we chase religious achievement. We obey our instincts to feel good, safe, and strong—which isn’t bad so much as it’s unexamined. We wake, we work, we play, and we sleep. Going through the motions, deepening our ruts, and living on auto-pilot.
Depressing? Compared to what we’re made for, yes.
It generally takes a small cataclysm to jar us out of our dazed condition to open our eyes and begin to see what’s real. This is the beauty of Lent and the reason for the tradition of fasting: physical disruption often invites spiritual awakening. Not always, but often. And when we don’t take the initiative, life often brings its own unexpected disruptions… with the same spiritual invitation: Who are you? Where are you going? What is real and what is illusion?
Parker Palmer reminds us that “contemplation is any way one has of penetrating illusion and touching reality.”
I’ve been drawn to re-watch old movies about disruption and awakening. The latest was The Truman Show. A man of about 30 (played by Jim Carrey) goes to work every morning, banters good-naturedly with his idyllic neighbors, comes home to his doting wife, and drinks a beer with his best friend. Rinse and repeat. It’s a safe life, buffered from discomfort on a literal island. But he has the nagging sense that this life is artificial (which it is) and that he’s made for more (which he is). Spoiler Alert: Eventually he discovers that his entire life is one massive TV production—Watch the clip below for the heartwarming end.
Your life may not be broadcast to millions 24/7, yet it still carries its own scripts and expectations and stultifications that yield a dull stupor. Don’t waste the remaining 12 days of Lent! Break mindless patterns. Embrace disruption. Throw a grenade or two. Look at the trajectory of your life and make the choice to become fully alive, fully awake.
growing your soul
What makes you fall asleep to spiritual Reality? What wakes you up?
serving our world
Where does the world’s great need and your great gifts intersect?
takeaway
Awake!
soak
This week’s chant… “I am human. I am holy. Grace renews me. It’s love that guides me.”