While we all don’t follow a religion that recognizes today as “Good Friday” and potentially a holiday, many of us do. And others still, will roll with the cadence of this Easter Weekend, by spending time with family and friends, going to brunch and taking a deep breath as we transition into Spring even without a religious affiliation.
I am interested in this weekend because the three days between today and Easter Day literally reflect the full gamut of the human experience. Whether or not we practice organized religion we can all relate to the cycle of getting knocked down and doing what it takes to get back up again. Within three days, the Christian model is one that takes us from Glory to Tragedy to Resilience and Renewal in a very short period.
I like to think of this cycle as a repeatable and necessary part of our own individual evolution, and our shared, aggregate growth over time as we all become more of who we are. Whether or not we realize it, we are being born a-new every second. Each literal cell in our body, each muscle fiber and tissue is literally replaced again and again, as the old parts die and the new parts are generated. Not only is our physical body built and re-built on a daily basis, but our core essence is also constantly undergoing development, driven largely by where we place our attention.
Question: What does this process mean to us as individuals, and as groups? Do we cling to the old, even if harmful, because we know it so well? Will we allow that waves of life to wash away the broken shells from the shore, and let something new arrive? What renewal or discovery might be possible if we allow ourselves to wade in the waves rather than avoiding them or wishing they were something they are not?
All of life is a regeneration. We see this in organized religion, but also, only EVERYWHERE we look. Seasons are all part of this cadence. Birth and death of “energy” is a constant process we are undergoing, whether we are having a baby, attending a funeral, or simply waking up in the morning to a body and a world that is just a smidgeon different than the ones when we surrendered to when we fell asleep last night.
The waves rise and fall. Our breath enters our bodies on the inhale, and exits our bodies on the exhale. The sun rises and sets. We are connected, we are disconnected, and re-connected again. In our relationships and in our spiritual practices if we have one. I am generally challenged to find any rhythm that does not consist of micro and macro repeated cycles of living and dying, coming and going, integrating and disintegrating. It’s our very nature.
So whether or not there is a religious component to the next couple of days in your own life, rest assured that there is a human one. The natural ebb and flow of life is omnipresent and we are always being called to contract and expand; to grow and to rest; to create and to recover; to serve and to savor (find recent “Two Hands” post here). Rather than resisting the transitioning energy currents because they are new to us, feel awkward or frightening even, let’s look left, look right and then within, to be reminded that we are all coming and going, succeeding and failing, loving and losing, creating and destroying, hoping and doubting, living and dying.
Embracing our common humanity reminds us that we are special, and also, that we are not so special. And all at once, the day comes to an end, so that a resurrection can take place in the future. Wishing everyone health, happiness and a renewal of Faith or self-commitment in whatever idiosyncratic way fits our hearts.
And on the third day…what new energy will arise through us, as us, in us and for us?