The Gift of Mystery

Dear Ones,

Our December theme is the “gift of mystery,” which challenges me to think about mystery as a gift.  And this really is a challenge, because I think we humans find a sense of security in being able to know and predict and control.  I know I do!  We might feel powerless when we can’t do those things, and our first response to powerlessness is often fear.  For me, these days, that feeling comes when I think about my teenager heading off to college next year- the mystery of what’s in store for each of us, on our own.  And when I think about the ever-rising cost of food and housing- the mystery of whether and how we humans will continue to take care of each other.  And when I think about the dropping water levels in our nation’s reservoirs, and the changes in the cycles of the seasons that I’m noticing- the mystery of how long our earth home might be hospitable to humans.  Is it possible to find gifts in those situations?  How might we do that?

I think that finding ways to reframe mystery might offer some gifts.  Maybe being confronted with mystery is an invitation to explore our opportunities.  Maybe it’s a chance to discover and use our creativity.  Maybe it’s even a way for us to connect with each other and offer each other comfort.  After all, don’t we all experience mystery of some kind?  What might it be like to share how powerless or even afraid we feel when we do?  To offer each other compassionate accompaniment as mystery confronts us?  To let the shared experience of seeking responses to mystery bring us solace?  We can hold hard things together, and let ways to keep going arise as we do so.  We can turn our relationship with mystery into a dance, lessening the grip of the fear it can provoke.

And so I invite you to the spiritual practice of dancing with mystery – with questions.  What mysteries offer you opportunities to learn and grow?  What do you do when you find yourself in one of them?  How might your presence ease someone else’s confrontation with mystery?  We’ll explore these questions on Sunday mornings this month- and please reach out to me if you’d like to talk with your minister about your dance with mystery.

In faith and love

Karen

[December 2023]