I entitle this little inspirational piece rather oddly, one might think. You might try to guess what I might mean by some place that is in between other spaces. It could be something like an alley that goes between streets. If you are accustomed to subways, there are many walkways that go in between the various options for trains. Rather than these, this strange title came to me when I read a recent piece from Richard Rohr. Rohr writes a daily thing, much like I do.
n this case, however, he turned to a guest writer with whom he works. Sheryl Fullerton authored a little essay based on her experience with cancer. Clearly, she has studied theology or at least read a great deal, because she talks about this period in her life as a “liminal place.” I can imagine many, if not most, readers do not know that word. Its Latin root means a “threshold.” It is a different realm than the rest of the places outside the liminal place. If we go into a church, for example, we enter a liminal place. There might be a special door or entry way which takes us into this space.
I enjoyed Fullerton’s reflections and would like to use some of these to illuminate our own times, which may hold some possibilities of liminality. She opens with an interesting question. “When we find ourselves in liminal space, does it matter whether we are pushed or whether we jump?” I find that to be a great question because it might so aptly fit our own strange time. Is this an in between time and space? Some think it might be, since we are clearly not in normal times. And when you enter abnormal times, usually we hope to get back to some form of normalcy.
I can only imagine Fullerton smiling as she and, then, I ask her question, were we pushed, or did we jump? She says, “Either way, we are not where or what we were before, nor do we know how or where we will land in our new reality.” This is true for so many times in our lives, not simply the present time in which so many find themselves. Truly, this is not the “before.” And who knows about the future that is coming!
Fullerton then turns to the scholarly figure who talks so much about the liminal place, Victor Turner. He describes this as a place betwixt and between.” I love how Fullerton unpacks that description. She comments that “In that space—which is mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual—we are destabilized, disoriented.” Perhaps that is the purpose and function of going into a liminal place. We are no longer where we used to be. Our worlds may even be turned upside down. This place can be mental or physical or spiritual---or a combination of the three.
She adds for good measure, “The old touchstones, habits, and comforts are now past, the future unknown.” Indeed, this is a betwixt and between. We can use a fancy word, like liminality, but we all know what this kind of time and place feels like. She moves toward offering some insight and help for how we might deal creatively with this new place. She sets it up with these words. “Dwelling in unsettling liminal space, whether we are pushed or we jump, we are led to draw on resources and possibilities we may not have tapped before.”
It is good to know that typically we realize we do have some resources. No doubt, we have read things, talked to people and have experiences which will help in such times. Times like this do offer possibilities we may never have had or would never have considered. She suggests the Spirit of God might even be present to and with us in such times.
She leads to this point in an enticing way. “In the unknown space between here and there, younger and older, past and future, life happens.” That probably is a good message for any time, but in times that are unreal, stressful and otherwise crazy, these words are more true than ever. Life continues to happen, and I trust somehow the Spirit is part of that. Learning to trust the Spirit might be somewhat like learning to be optimistic. Being optimistic does not mean it always works out the way I want it to work out. But it does work out in such a way I can flourish. So, it is with the Spirit.
The Spirit does not wish me bad things. It won’t prevent me from being in bad times, but it is there nonetheless. As Fullerton suggests, in these times---"In liminal time and space, we can learn to let reality…be our teacher, rather than living in the illusion that we are creating it on our own.” That reminds me that Quakers affirm we all have a Light Within---an inward Teacher. We will be guided.
I feel like I have been thrown in---in between the place I was and to where I am heading. I know I have choices and opportunities. I know I have resources. Above all, I know I can trust the Spirit in these times. I am good and you can be, too.
n this case, however, he turned to a guest writer with whom he works. Sheryl Fullerton authored a little essay based on her experience with cancer. Clearly, she has studied theology or at least read a great deal, because she talks about this period in her life as a “liminal place.” I can imagine many, if not most, readers do not know that word. Its Latin root means a “threshold.” It is a different realm than the rest of the places outside the liminal place. If we go into a church, for example, we enter a liminal place. There might be a special door or entry way which takes us into this space.
I enjoyed Fullerton’s reflections and would like to use some of these to illuminate our own times, which may hold some possibilities of liminality. She opens with an interesting question. “When we find ourselves in liminal space, does it matter whether we are pushed or whether we jump?” I find that to be a great question because it might so aptly fit our own strange time. Is this an in between time and space? Some think it might be, since we are clearly not in normal times. And when you enter abnormal times, usually we hope to get back to some form of normalcy.
I can only imagine Fullerton smiling as she and, then, I ask her question, were we pushed, or did we jump? She says, “Either way, we are not where or what we were before, nor do we know how or where we will land in our new reality.” This is true for so many times in our lives, not simply the present time in which so many find themselves. Truly, this is not the “before.” And who knows about the future that is coming!
Fullerton then turns to the scholarly figure who talks so much about the liminal place, Victor Turner. He describes this as a place betwixt and between.” I love how Fullerton unpacks that description. She comments that “In that space—which is mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual—we are destabilized, disoriented.” Perhaps that is the purpose and function of going into a liminal place. We are no longer where we used to be. Our worlds may even be turned upside down. This place can be mental or physical or spiritual---or a combination of the three.
She adds for good measure, “The old touchstones, habits, and comforts are now past, the future unknown.” Indeed, this is a betwixt and between. We can use a fancy word, like liminality, but we all know what this kind of time and place feels like. She moves toward offering some insight and help for how we might deal creatively with this new place. She sets it up with these words. “Dwelling in unsettling liminal space, whether we are pushed or we jump, we are led to draw on resources and possibilities we may not have tapped before.”
It is good to know that typically we realize we do have some resources. No doubt, we have read things, talked to people and have experiences which will help in such times. Times like this do offer possibilities we may never have had or would never have considered. She suggests the Spirit of God might even be present to and with us in such times.
She leads to this point in an enticing way. “In the unknown space between here and there, younger and older, past and future, life happens.” That probably is a good message for any time, but in times that are unreal, stressful and otherwise crazy, these words are more true than ever. Life continues to happen, and I trust somehow the Spirit is part of that. Learning to trust the Spirit might be somewhat like learning to be optimistic. Being optimistic does not mean it always works out the way I want it to work out. But it does work out in such a way I can flourish. So, it is with the Spirit.
The Spirit does not wish me bad things. It won’t prevent me from being in bad times, but it is there nonetheless. As Fullerton suggests, in these times---"In liminal time and space, we can learn to let reality…be our teacher, rather than living in the illusion that we are creating it on our own.” That reminds me that Quakers affirm we all have a Light Within---an inward Teacher. We will be guided.
I feel like I have been thrown in---in between the place I was and to where I am heading. I know I have choices and opportunities. I know I have resources. Above all, I know I can trust the Spirit in these times. I am good and you can be, too.
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