above the moon’s horizon – can represent his purpose transformed.
In another example (John 20.11-13) Mary, distraught and with her world
turned to grey desolation, goes to the tomb with spices to care for Jesus’ body.
She becomes even more distressed when she finds that Jesus’ body is not there.
She could imagine only that someone took Him away.
But the desolation she was experiencing became instead a new world, a
world transformed, when she recognizes Jesus alive and in person. (Ibid.1416). This transformation happened because she was open to seeing what she
hadn’t imagined.
Again, the first image can represent Mary, distraught in a desolate world.
The second image can represent Mary’s awakening to the world transformed.
Look again at the astronaut on the moon. We can see this image as a
metaphor of our existence here in the natural world. In order to be on the
moon we need a spacesuit. Changing levels, in order to be living in the natural
world we need what we might call a “space-and-time suit” – our bodies.
Paraphrasing Pierre Teilhard de Chardin,1 we are spiritual beings having a
natural – a space-and-time – experience. So that astronaut on the moon is us:
a spiritual being standing on a foreign world.
Now graduates, you are about to complete an important, identifiable goal.
Your next steps and goals will likely not be as easily identifiable. This can be
frightening, but it can also be transformative.
Intense focus is often required to accomplish a goal, but it is important
also to maintain openness to new experiences, insights, callings, needs,
and opportunities. Otherwise our
singularity of focus could make us
miss something even more important.
Willingness both to focus and to widen
our focus are needed for us to develop
in meaningful, healthy ways.
By completing your degreespecific, focused goal you are stepping
into a time that may not have a clear
sense of direction or identifiable
“roadmap.” What are we to do? One
solution is to have transcendent goals
1 “We are not human beings having a spiritual
experience; we are spiritual beings having a human
experience.” Attributed by Robert J. Furey to Pierre
Teilhard de Chardin
345
By completing your
degree-specific, focused
goal you are stepping
into a time that may not
have a clear sense of
direction or identifiable
“roadmap.” What are
we to do? One solution
is to have transcendent
goals – goals not limited
by time and space.