First Entry
Gerry Aylward
Welcome! My intention in writing this blog is to explore and give voice to various themes and issues that, for me, are at the heart of what it means to be human and to being alive. Among these are, “soul,” “nature,” “memory,” and “belonging.” Though others have written extensively about these things, I feel compelled to add my voice to the chorus.
The symphony of life is composed of a myriad sounds woven into a tapestry of exquisite beauty that echoes forth from the soul of the world as a love song to the Source of all, the Great Mystery, the Beloved, God. I speak this so that others who hear these words may be encouraged to do likewise. We are all players in this performance and the work is diminished unless all are heard. I believe this is what the Beloved longs for – to hear the voice of all her children.
We are thrust onto the stage of life for all to witness, and this is the often-frightening reality. We get stage fright; we fear rejection. We compare ourselves to others to see where we rank, and so our offering to the world can, understandably, be colored by what we think others want to hear. Thus we sacrifice our aliveness and authenticity for social acceptance – as if this is the cost of belonging.
But surely this isn’t real belonging? Real belonging has to do with finding your true voice. When you have found this you know your place in the world. You add the right amount of consonance and dissonance that enriches and spices the soup of life. And this becomes something natural – not contrived – rather, a sort of freedom to “be.”
Mary Oliver expresses this beautifully in her poem “The Journey.”
One day you finally knew
What you had to do, and began,
Though the voices around you
Kept shouting
Their bad advice –
Though the whole house
Began to tremble
And you felt the old tug
At your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
Each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
Though the wind pried
With its stiff fingers
At the foundations,
Though their melancholy
Was terrible.
It was already late
Enough, and a wild night,
And the road full of fallen
Branches and stones.
But little by little,
As you left their voices behind,
The stars began to burn
Through the sheets of clouds,
And there was a new voice
Which you slowly
Recognized as your own
That kept you company
As you strode deeper and deeper
Into the world,
Determined to do
The only thing you could do –
Determined to save
The only life you could save.
So, have you ever felt this tension? I know I have. I would love to hear any responses.
Next time I’ll talk about Miles Davis and authenticity…hope you’ll stay tuned.