What of those of us who find ourselves on paths that we never willingly chose for ourselves? 

I vividly remember my trip to Mammoth Caves. Beautiful. Once inside, you couldn’t see the person right next to you or even your own hand. Pitch dark. I can’t imagine enjoying that trip without a guide who could skillfully lead us through the labyrinthian passages. There was a holy moment when we arrived at the stalactite formations. But again without a light and a guide to show the way, we would have missed the wonder of it all and possibly even lost our way. 

In the strict disciplinary environment of the Jesuit education I received, I learned obedience as a way of survival. Unlearning this way of creativity has taken me the rest of my life until now, unfortunately. This may be true for many of us—the natural propensity to avoid what is inherently good and true for us is something that is deeply ingrained in us. We’ve been radicalized into following those who may not truly have our best interest in mind. We struggle to clearly distinguish the voice of truth from error. Have we, individually and humanity as a whole, lost our way? 

Only radical guidance through love and forgiveness can ultimately heal our creative souls and restore us to perceive beauty for what it’s worth and to desire it for ourselves and others. It is this creative propensity that we then learn to translate through our creativity that brings healing and restoration to our relationships and environments.

A good guide leads with love—having your best interest in mind. A good guide persuades us to “lie down in green pastures.” Shall we remain unmoved by such?

Consider,

Listen for the still small voice of love, in yourself and others. If you cannot find it, wait for it. Don’t settle for anything else. Take time to listen and to reflect to the extent of asking for time before you offer your response or make a decision that could affect you and those around you. Why should we “rush in, where angels fear to tread”? 

Let’s join hands, heads, and hearts to make this world a better place. 

Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash. Thank you!