Yes, there's just some degree of irreducible mystery in life. Or, to put it another way, the ultimate Truth of whatever all of this is is actually not understandable at all, and rather, reason itself is just one process/entity within it. Trying to make sense of everything is like trying to make iron of everything. Sure, iron asteroids exist, but you wouldn't try to somehow force all stars and dust and planets and dogs and people (and dark matter and God knows what else is out there) to be iron asteroids. They just are what they are (though truly they are One, inseparable), and iron (reason) is what it is. To some extent, it can ask questions and define answers. But to think that there is an "answer" to everything is a fallacy, I think.
Such things are famously difficult to discuss, because by using words, we are necessarily conceptualizing, and there's just only so much that will fit into concepts. But there is a kind of wordless knowing that you can come to be familiar with if you just pay enough attention. You don't have to be sitting on a cushion with traditional Buddhist embroidery, you don't have to take psychedelics, and no such practice is a guarantee of anything. Besides paying attention (regardless of what I'm doing / what's going on), I have found a special kind of knowing in looking into the eyes of another sentient being. If you know, you know. It can't be put into words.
At the same time, even words (in whatever form) are still part of the interconnected Everything. So sometimes there's a funny kind of wordless knowing that can come from words. Paradoxes R us! This is why I love poetry.
Hal, I so enjoy our budding friendship. You are an amazing human being, and I am proud of the ways you continue to be curious and live a vibrant life even after going through tremendous loss. You give me so much hope and support. Thank you.
Dear Mike, Paradoxes R Us, indeed!! Sometimes a wordless gaze speaks volumes - so true. I love the way you are able to put some of these ideas into words, as inadequate as they may be. I feel that I am always learning, and that's the way I want it to be. (Not too long ago, I was asked at a box office whether I was eligible for the student discount, and I replied (with a smile) that I'm a lifelong learner! It didn't work, but the box office clerk and I shared a big smile over it!) Encountering you on this platform (complete serendipity, right - haha) has been a joy to me, and I am pleased to be a friend and a support to you. You're an amazing guy, and your poetry touches me deeply. Thank YOU!
Hal, this piece resonates in so many ways, I barely know where to begin. So I will first thank you for giving me new words to describe my usual state: awaiting further enlightenment. Next, let me tell you what a surprise to find my name further down. I'm honored to be linked and glad my therapist's words continue to be shared. There will always be words we live by and his are a few. Now I have more to add to my guidebook, thanks to you. 💜 Finally, thank you for sharing part of your journey with Susan. As someone struggling with a neurological mystery, I know the frustration of words like idiopathic. It amazes me how far science has come, and yet we're still appallingly ignorant. We are all, indeed, waiting for additional enlightenment, aren't we? Blessings to you.
Dear Katherine, Thanks so much for your comment -- I'm so pleased that my piece resonates with you. I'm sorry to hear that you are also dealing with a neurological mystery. It is both frustrating and humbling. I totally agree: we know so much, yet we know so little. And "idiopathic" is such a fancy word for "clueless." I hope you have the best medical team possible - but perhaps more importantly, wonderful personal support that keeps you going and keeps your eyes on the good things in life. I enjoy your poetry, and am actually finding that poetry can often provide insights into those mysteries that regular words don't seem to. In addition to your poetry, I find myself moved by that of Mike Speriosu (Iterations) and Paul Wittenberger (Paul's Substack). My mother-in-law was a poet; her work opened my eyes to the wonderful genre. Blessings back to you!
Perhaps it is mystery to have found and read your piece this morning, early, as birds are busy chirping, the mist still blankets the valley and, in the distance, a soft rumble of morning traffic hums on the highway. And here in this moment, your piece is resonating. It is a gift I will carry into my day. A gift, an affirmation, a reminder to leave the door open, an allowance, a recognition.
I have never been a mystery reader and yet I am a lover of the mystery you join Mary Oliver in seeing. It speaks to me often through art, the absolute magic of this moment, the unthought known, my increasing humbleness in the face of this life. And perhaps, in how I take you piece, this gift, with me into my day and my list of pressing to-do’s in hand. All to say, thank you, Hal.
Dear Kerry, I am deeply touched that my writing can be a gift that you take with you into that very full day ahead. I never know how my work will land with those who read it, and this has given me renewed energy for continuing on --- the act of writing is also a gift to me. Thank you, Kerry, and sending wishes for gentle breezes supporting you this day.
“Our understanding of human life (and of our universe) is so limited.” That’s the bottom line, isn’t it? I think that’s why we are incapable of grasping mysteries, but we get glimpses. Terence Malick’s movie Tree of Life left me awestruck with its juxtaposition of people living their lives, then breaking away to images of celestial phenomena. We are so small in the scheme of things. Yet, we are part of the mystery and it is a part of us. My best friend of 50+ years sent me a small card in 1975 with a quote from the I Ching that has stayed with me: “There are no accidents in the world and coincidence is not an accident.”
Dear Rhonda - Indeed, as savvy as we think we may be, our understanding is miniscule in face of the universe of mysteries. Thank you for mentioning The Tree of Life -- I have no idea how I missed that. I just watched the trailer and was immediately drawn in. I'll be streaming it very soon. The quote from the I Ching is wonderful --- The wiser I become, the more I embrace that. Just the thought itself is awesome to consider. It's a joy to exchange these ideas with you.
Hi Hal, I have found my experience of life enbracing more & more of the Mystery. In fact, I address the Mystery through poetry, in my recently published book, "Love and Other Expressions of the Self." In my lifelong search for healing from early chilldhood sexual trauma, my journey to heal took me to the center of myself...and there, I experienced The Mystery of Love (the Divine kind). Holding a Ph.D. in Family Social Science, the question, "What is family?" posed by my very young self, was answered (at least academically) and yet those unspeakable questions (the Why? questions) have remained mostly unanswerable to my little-one self)...and thus, my experience of dancing with The Mystery of life and love. In my experience, surrendering to The Unknown (or the Mystery) is an act of love...my love for the Divine and my trust that The Full Story has yet to be revealed to me.
Thank you for sharing your story, Jane. I love it that you are writing poetry, and I will get your book. I have been following several poets on this platform, and appreciate the many ways in which poetry can uniquely express feelings and ideas. Personally, I'm very happy that you are leaning into the mysteries of life, and I wish you all the best on your journey. We're all in it together, although we may experience it and express it differently. I too am finding this surprisingly exciting phase of life one of many big questions and fascinating glimpses of that which we will never fully know. Assuming you are still in ABQ, what a wonderful part of the country in which to discover transcendence. Peace!
I posted a clip of Mary Oliver and Coleman Barks recently where she talks about the importance of mystery. She reads my favorite poem in the clip: “The Fish.” You might look for that if you’ve not seen it? It’s a charming interview, as Barks is so clearly fully enamored of Oliver and her work.
Thank you so much for posting this, Paula!!! I love Mary's work and am inspired by it — and I especially love the way she directly addressed Mystery in this clip The interchange with Barks was priceless. I too will keep this handy so I can re-watch it! I'm going to subscribe to your substack. Glad to be connected.
Another hit out of the park, Hal! How is it that every one of your columns resonates so thoroughly with me? Of course it's because I'm a seeker, too, recovering from a loss so similar to yours.
I was first introduced to Leslie Weatherhead's book in a bookstudy aimed at young mothers and led by the Rev. Dr. Carver McGriff, then senior pastor at St Luke's UMC, Indpls (and who was recently called home to God just shy of his 100th birthday). Our first child had FINALLY arrived and I was so ready to hear the messages of the authors of the two books we read that fall. The first was Weatherhead's. The second was C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. I mark reading these two books as the genuine start of a faith journey that continues. Thank you ((Hal))!
Dear Pat, It's always good to hear from you! Who would have thought that our work together at AFA back in the day would connect us (albeit by thin threads!) to where we are today! I'm pretty sure I found Weatherhead's book while browsing at a bookstore. It is copyrighted in 1965, but the version I have is the 5th printing - 1978. That would have put me in Austin in my first faculty position. Seeker mode was in high gear at that point. The title seemed enticingly radical and legitimated some of the doubts I was having about the faith I was raised in (RC). I've heard about Mere Christianity numerous times and have been meaning to pick it up -- now I will, as I too am seeking to get a better handle on all of this. But, in the spirit of mystery, I no longer think it's possible to "get a good handle" on it, because it is a mystery greater than us. And as I explored in today's essay, I'm trying to simply live in to the mysteries rather than "figure them out." It's bigger than us, and that's ok. We get glimpses now and then, and I want to be content with that --- and, as Mary Oliver would say -- simply be in awe. I always look forward to your reflections and am so pleased to see you are back out traveling. Choir started for me last week, and voice lessons re-start on Monday, so it's all good! Hugs back to you!
Yes, there's just some degree of irreducible mystery in life. Or, to put it another way, the ultimate Truth of whatever all of this is is actually not understandable at all, and rather, reason itself is just one process/entity within it. Trying to make sense of everything is like trying to make iron of everything. Sure, iron asteroids exist, but you wouldn't try to somehow force all stars and dust and planets and dogs and people (and dark matter and God knows what else is out there) to be iron asteroids. They just are what they are (though truly they are One, inseparable), and iron (reason) is what it is. To some extent, it can ask questions and define answers. But to think that there is an "answer" to everything is a fallacy, I think.
Such things are famously difficult to discuss, because by using words, we are necessarily conceptualizing, and there's just only so much that will fit into concepts. But there is a kind of wordless knowing that you can come to be familiar with if you just pay enough attention. You don't have to be sitting on a cushion with traditional Buddhist embroidery, you don't have to take psychedelics, and no such practice is a guarantee of anything. Besides paying attention (regardless of what I'm doing / what's going on), I have found a special kind of knowing in looking into the eyes of another sentient being. If you know, you know. It can't be put into words.
At the same time, even words (in whatever form) are still part of the interconnected Everything. So sometimes there's a funny kind of wordless knowing that can come from words. Paradoxes R us! This is why I love poetry.
Hal, I so enjoy our budding friendship. You are an amazing human being, and I am proud of the ways you continue to be curious and live a vibrant life even after going through tremendous loss. You give me so much hope and support. Thank you.
Dear Mike, Paradoxes R Us, indeed!! Sometimes a wordless gaze speaks volumes - so true. I love the way you are able to put some of these ideas into words, as inadequate as they may be. I feel that I am always learning, and that's the way I want it to be. (Not too long ago, I was asked at a box office whether I was eligible for the student discount, and I replied (with a smile) that I'm a lifelong learner! It didn't work, but the box office clerk and I shared a big smile over it!) Encountering you on this platform (complete serendipity, right - haha) has been a joy to me, and I am pleased to be a friend and a support to you. You're an amazing guy, and your poetry touches me deeply. Thank YOU!
Hal, this piece resonates in so many ways, I barely know where to begin. So I will first thank you for giving me new words to describe my usual state: awaiting further enlightenment. Next, let me tell you what a surprise to find my name further down. I'm honored to be linked and glad my therapist's words continue to be shared. There will always be words we live by and his are a few. Now I have more to add to my guidebook, thanks to you. 💜 Finally, thank you for sharing part of your journey with Susan. As someone struggling with a neurological mystery, I know the frustration of words like idiopathic. It amazes me how far science has come, and yet we're still appallingly ignorant. We are all, indeed, waiting for additional enlightenment, aren't we? Blessings to you.
Dear Katherine, Thanks so much for your comment -- I'm so pleased that my piece resonates with you. I'm sorry to hear that you are also dealing with a neurological mystery. It is both frustrating and humbling. I totally agree: we know so much, yet we know so little. And "idiopathic" is such a fancy word for "clueless." I hope you have the best medical team possible - but perhaps more importantly, wonderful personal support that keeps you going and keeps your eyes on the good things in life. I enjoy your poetry, and am actually finding that poetry can often provide insights into those mysteries that regular words don't seem to. In addition to your poetry, I find myself moved by that of Mike Speriosu (Iterations) and Paul Wittenberger (Paul's Substack). My mother-in-law was a poet; her work opened my eyes to the wonderful genre. Blessings back to you!
Perhaps it is mystery to have found and read your piece this morning, early, as birds are busy chirping, the mist still blankets the valley and, in the distance, a soft rumble of morning traffic hums on the highway. And here in this moment, your piece is resonating. It is a gift I will carry into my day. A gift, an affirmation, a reminder to leave the door open, an allowance, a recognition.
I have never been a mystery reader and yet I am a lover of the mystery you join Mary Oliver in seeing. It speaks to me often through art, the absolute magic of this moment, the unthought known, my increasing humbleness in the face of this life. And perhaps, in how I take you piece, this gift, with me into my day and my list of pressing to-do’s in hand. All to say, thank you, Hal.
.
Dear Kerry, I am deeply touched that my writing can be a gift that you take with you into that very full day ahead. I never know how my work will land with those who read it, and this has given me renewed energy for continuing on --- the act of writing is also a gift to me. Thank you, Kerry, and sending wishes for gentle breezes supporting you this day.
Whilst off track a bit, this just popped to mind and, as music speaks, I thought you might enjoy: https://youtu.be/nlaoR5m4L80
Timely and perfect!! Just let the mystery be!
“Our understanding of human life (and of our universe) is so limited.” That’s the bottom line, isn’t it? I think that’s why we are incapable of grasping mysteries, but we get glimpses. Terence Malick’s movie Tree of Life left me awestruck with its juxtaposition of people living their lives, then breaking away to images of celestial phenomena. We are so small in the scheme of things. Yet, we are part of the mystery and it is a part of us. My best friend of 50+ years sent me a small card in 1975 with a quote from the I Ching that has stayed with me: “There are no accidents in the world and coincidence is not an accident.”
Dear Rhonda - Indeed, as savvy as we think we may be, our understanding is miniscule in face of the universe of mysteries. Thank you for mentioning The Tree of Life -- I have no idea how I missed that. I just watched the trailer and was immediately drawn in. I'll be streaming it very soon. The quote from the I Ching is wonderful --- The wiser I become, the more I embrace that. Just the thought itself is awesome to consider. It's a joy to exchange these ideas with you.
Hi Hal, I have found my experience of life enbracing more & more of the Mystery. In fact, I address the Mystery through poetry, in my recently published book, "Love and Other Expressions of the Self." In my lifelong search for healing from early chilldhood sexual trauma, my journey to heal took me to the center of myself...and there, I experienced The Mystery of Love (the Divine kind). Holding a Ph.D. in Family Social Science, the question, "What is family?" posed by my very young self, was answered (at least academically) and yet those unspeakable questions (the Why? questions) have remained mostly unanswerable to my little-one self)...and thus, my experience of dancing with The Mystery of life and love. In my experience, surrendering to The Unknown (or the Mystery) is an act of love...my love for the Divine and my trust that The Full Story has yet to be revealed to me.
Thank you for sharing your story, Jane. I love it that you are writing poetry, and I will get your book. I have been following several poets on this platform, and appreciate the many ways in which poetry can uniquely express feelings and ideas. Personally, I'm very happy that you are leaning into the mysteries of life, and I wish you all the best on your journey. We're all in it together, although we may experience it and express it differently. I too am finding this surprisingly exciting phase of life one of many big questions and fascinating glimpses of that which we will never fully know. Assuming you are still in ABQ, what a wonderful part of the country in which to discover transcendence. Peace!
My poem:
Surrender to the Mystery
Jane Ellen Newell, Ph.D.
Surrender, then I will
Surrender, then I have
No form will You take
To make it easy on me
Won't You kindly
Conform to my will?
Won't You put Yourself
In neat little boxes
With labels on for me
To know when You're there
Or where You're not
Oh...how silly of me,
A fool's folly
To try to contain
The Source of it all
Surrender, then I must
Surrender, then I do
Surrender to the Love that owns me
I surrender, Love, to You.
I posted a clip of Mary Oliver and Coleman Barks recently where she talks about the importance of mystery. She reads my favorite poem in the clip: “The Fish.” You might look for that if you’ve not seen it? It’s a charming interview, as Barks is so clearly fully enamored of Oliver and her work.
Thank you so much for posting this, Paula!!! I love Mary's work and am inspired by it — and I especially love the way she directly addressed Mystery in this clip The interchange with Barks was priceless. I too will keep this handy so I can re-watch it! I'm going to subscribe to your substack. Glad to be connected.
Another hit out of the park, Hal! How is it that every one of your columns resonates so thoroughly with me? Of course it's because I'm a seeker, too, recovering from a loss so similar to yours.
I was first introduced to Leslie Weatherhead's book in a bookstudy aimed at young mothers and led by the Rev. Dr. Carver McGriff, then senior pastor at St Luke's UMC, Indpls (and who was recently called home to God just shy of his 100th birthday). Our first child had FINALLY arrived and I was so ready to hear the messages of the authors of the two books we read that fall. The first was Weatherhead's. The second was C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. I mark reading these two books as the genuine start of a faith journey that continues. Thank you ((Hal))!
Dear Pat, It's always good to hear from you! Who would have thought that our work together at AFA back in the day would connect us (albeit by thin threads!) to where we are today! I'm pretty sure I found Weatherhead's book while browsing at a bookstore. It is copyrighted in 1965, but the version I have is the 5th printing - 1978. That would have put me in Austin in my first faculty position. Seeker mode was in high gear at that point. The title seemed enticingly radical and legitimated some of the doubts I was having about the faith I was raised in (RC). I've heard about Mere Christianity numerous times and have been meaning to pick it up -- now I will, as I too am seeking to get a better handle on all of this. But, in the spirit of mystery, I no longer think it's possible to "get a good handle" on it, because it is a mystery greater than us. And as I explored in today's essay, I'm trying to simply live in to the mysteries rather than "figure them out." It's bigger than us, and that's ok. We get glimpses now and then, and I want to be content with that --- and, as Mary Oliver would say -- simply be in awe. I always look forward to your reflections and am so pleased to see you are back out traveling. Choir started for me last week, and voice lessons re-start on Monday, so it's all good! Hugs back to you!