Lotus.
The Odyssey, like any journey, is a mystery whose meaning comes from the actual traveling of it. Nobody can tell before he hits the road what will turn out to be significant for him, where he will find that moment of refraction, and what will roll off his back. It is only by traveling that each traveler discover what her powers—her virtues—are; it is only through her adventures that the traveler experiences herself as an individual, unique, creative in her way, and blind in her way.
~ Michael Goldberg, Travels With Odysseus
lent, preview
While Lent does not technically begin until Ash Wednesday on February 14, I’d like to start the conversation now. Traditionally, the 40 days of Lent is a season of sorrow and repentance, marked by fasting and other abstinences, in solidarity with the sufferings of Jesus that led to his death and resurrection. I can appreciate that desire to identify with Christ in his journey to the cross, but let’s widen our perspective to the larger Jesus journey… because it is also our journey!
The path of Jesus was not unlike the path of Odysseus: They both faced great triumphs, great temptations, and great losses… yet both passed their tests and achieved their journey’s end in heroic fashion. While Odysseus was no savior, both of these figures inspire us to face our challenges with integrity and perseverance. So through this lens, the season of Lent is the story of holding your course in the face of enormous threat and intimidation. To my mind, Lent is less about giving up chocolate than it is about taking courageous assessment of the hazards we face and learning to navigate those dangers with wisdom and faith.
What hazards and threats are you facing right now? Will they crush you, or will you follow the way of Jesus to “grow in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and men”?
The first major encounter for Odysseus and his men is the Land of the Lotus Eaters. “Like some coffeehouse beatniks of another era, Lotus Eaters are an easygoing, no-hassle, copacetic tribe that goes with the warm-and-fuzzy flow. They are the first counter-culture in Western literature.”* But their don’t-worry-be-happy persona covers a dark secret—they are drug addicts to an herb called Lotus. As a result, they have lost touch with any deep-hearted desire and, more damningly, forgotten where “home” even is.
This is the great threat for Enneagram Nines everywhere: Their remarkable gift for connection and harmony, when detached from their interior thrust and homing direction, fades into lethargic amnesia. Loss of self and loss of soul. What’s more, each of us—no matter our type—get caught in LotusLand periodically where the drug of indulgence or workaholism or retail therapy or any number of other counterfeits tempts us to numb out rather than fight for our true identity and calling. There was an old monastic word for this called “acedia,” one of the original deadly sins. And the loss of desire is deadly indeed.
When you find yourself trapped in inertia, stagnation, and carelessness, the way out is to shrug off indifference, mine deep into your intuitive knowing of who God is and who you are… and get the hell out of Dodge! Odysseus had to drag his trippin’ sailors back to their boats, lash them to their rowing benches, and get them paddling furiously until their heads cleared. This is not a time for subtle maneuvering; this is a time for bold action.
The first lesson of Lent: In those times when you feel stalled and stuck, remember home… and start rowing!
growing your soul
Where are you just going through the motions, passionless and numb? What will it take for you to wake up and get moving again?
serving our world
What is the cost to those you love when you drift away from your desire?
takeaway
Remember!
*Michael Goldberg, Travels With Odysseus. I’m taking much of my inspiration in this series from this book. I recommend it!