“The future is dark. But is this the darkness of the tomb — or the darkness of the womb? We are a nation waiting to be born & this is our great transition.” -Valarie Kaur
There are times when it feels like life grabs you by the hand with an assurance that you are not alone, that all this is connected somehow. I have been feeling so depleted lately and, at times, incredibly angry about the situation of our nation. A loss of hope when I want so badly to find a reason to keep believing there will be a way to come through this. I watch as friends make similar comments online, and I rally them, “Please don’t give up! We need you!” And yet I feel so much the same. What difference could anyone possibly make in the face of it all? Those old feelings of failure and loss are so hard to shake when times get tough. Tears are coming much too quickly right now. So many of our lives are in transition. We cannot seem to catch our breath in one moment before the darkness comes once again.
And then across the waves, I hear the passionate words of another who loves…this transition is about giving birth to something greater. The darkness is not our demise, but a space where something new is emerging. The quote of Valarie Kaur above connects it all. That beautiful birth process has cracked my spirit open more than any experience in my life—hard labor where breath could not alleviate the pain. What kept me going was focusing on my child’s beautiful heart that was on the way. Their energy held me and gave me the strength to endure. I look at the young leaders they are becoming, and I find hope once again.
Our nation is at that painful transition point, and all the screaming in the world isn’t helping. We see the unthinkable almost every day, and fear is making a feast of our doubt. But I have a feeling that there are more of us holding the space for love, especially when we place our focus on the spirit that is trying to transpire. It is time for this nation to be born into the wholeness for which many have struggled and died. We are the midwives and carriers of the love that is coming forth. The waves of pain may get higher, and we need to reach out to find a friendly hand—someone who will hold tight with us, and push for the world that is on the way.
This process is an orchestration of the violence within us as much as in the outer world. Otherwise, none of this would be happening. As much as we are asking for the world to change, we must be willing to go within to resolve the issues we carry. When we are willing to embrace our own wholeness, then we can create that image around us. We have to find space for forgiveness of ourselves and others. In the words of John O’Donahue, “The imagination is committed to the justice of wholeness. It will not choose one side in an inner conflict and repress or banish the other; it will endeavor to initiate a profound conversation between them in order that something original can be born.” Now is the time to clean out our own lives and clear our old hatreds, prejudices, and fears. When we raise the consciousness within ourselves, we raise it for the world around us. Have heart, carry love, and know that we together can bring forth the world that is waiting for us.
Photo Credit: Vince Moro of a Nantucket Sunset, 2018.