Mystic Musings: Lent 3/03
“I felt in need of a great pilgrimage so I sat still for three days and God came to me.”
Kabir, an Indian poet, artist and musician in the 15th and 16th centuries
This quote could both be an indictment on me and a reflection of me. If you have been following me you will know that I have taken a number of pilgrimages and have written about my experiences. Even this blog post is part of preparing for a book that recounts the journey and discoveries of my Rome to Rumi pilgrimage through Italy, Greece and Turkey in 2014.
On pilgrimage in 2011.
The quote is an indictment in that when I have needed time for professional or personal discernment I have set off on pilgrimage. I have pilgrimages of 4,000 miles, 1800 miles, 500 miles and 80 miles. I also have embarked on a fasting and prayer wilderness quest in Death Valley, California for 84 isolated hours. Kabir says one does not have to go on a grand adventure to make room for God to show up. I actually wholeheartedly agree with this.
But there is a reality that we must face as well. My partner recently pondered why she is more able to just sit and read for hours on end at her cabin than she is at home. She acknowledged that the settings are not all that different. But she also was aware that at home she could hear voices saying, “This would be the perfect time to fix this, attend to that, address this issue or get caught up on that project.” She could just as easily sit in a chair at home as at the cabin, but it takes getting away to quiet those nagging voices.
Photo by Paola Chaaya @paolitta
The meat of Kabir’s counsel isn’t so much about not taking off on pilgrimage. It is about doing what we need to do to make room for God to come to us. For me, with all of the responsibilities that came with professional ministry and community leadership, taking off where no one could ask anything of me became my “sitting still for three days” that Kabir recommends. Many people take an annual one-week retreat to get that space where God can show up. Maybe you have a special spot where you can let distractions go for a few hours or a yurt out back where you can cloister yourself off for a full day or more.
It doesn’t matter how you do it, but Kabir is on to something. If you want God to show up, it’s best to turn the noise down, slow the monkey mind, and set aside distractions—even for a few minutes or hours in this fast-paced, overly structured society.
Find a place and a time where you can sit quietly without distractions. Take a few very slow and deep breaths. Notice the thoughts that are going through your head. Allow them just to pass through you. Do this for ten minutes and see if the chatter in your mind slows down.. Then see if you can stretch that to thirty minutes. Once your nervous system can handle that much silence and stillness, try an hour. Then expand that to silent walks, a one-day silent retreat, or a three-day respite in the mountains or by a lake. If your body and soul falls in love with that much solitude, talk to me. You might be ready for a great pilgrimage, despite what Kabir says!