Healing Inward The Clouds

I firstly saw this editorial inwards the New York Times though a tweet a friend of mine sent.  Maybe that is the best affair close Twitter.  It gives me a adventure to catch things I otherwise would miss.  This tweet referenced an editorial that I was delighted to read as well as caused memories as well as some pondering.  The article was entitled, “In Costa Rica, Loss inwards the Clouds.”  It was written past times Joseph Heithaus, whom I did non know.  But I right away know he is a professor of English linguistic communication at DePauw University inwards Indiana.
   
Because my friend who sent the tweet is an active Quaker, I am certain that is why I firstly took notice.  But I also realized it was close Costa Rica, which I receive got visited as well as really much vow to supply some day.  As I started to read the editorial, I did non know how engaged I would be.  As I began to read, I noticed the identify from which the writer was writing was Monteverde.  I receive got been to Monteverde, along alongside my daughter, as well as I was eager to dive into the editorial.
   
Heithaus began ominously: “At the halt of April, my mom to quondam age.  At the halt of May, my blood brother Rick to cancer.  In mid-June, our next-door vecino to a midpoint attack.  So grief comes sometimes equally the clouds produce here, almost every day.”  I began to relate.  Monteverde is high inwards the Republic of Costa Rica mountains.  It is located inwards the Cloud Forest region.  It is beautiful.  In fact, I knew that Monteverde inwards Castilian agency “Green Mountains.”
   
After all these calamities inwards life, Heithaus heads off to Republic of Costa Rica to heal.  But he realizes, “…the healing procedure can’t hold upward hastened or willed to end. I’m realizing I’ll never actually acquire over the people I’ve lost.”  I respect that idea to hold upward profound.  Indeed, the healing procedure cannot hold upward hastened.  We cannot lose someone or something as well as speed through the procedure of getting over or getting through it.  The quondam adage is correct: it does accept fourth dimension to heal.  I recognize Heithaus has chosen a groovy identify to engage the process.
   
But at that spot is more.  And the to a greater extent than is personal, since it involves the Quaker community inwards Monteverde.  He continued his even out past times acknowledging, “We are living amidst a grouping of Quakers…”  I receive got been to that same grouping of Quakers.  I receive got worshipped alongside them as well as had meals alongside them.  I was eager to read on.  I know Quakers moved to that purpose of Republic of Costa Rica inwards the 1950s because of their calling to hold upward pacifists.  This was the fourth dimension when the Cold War was beginning.  And equally nosotros all know, shortly Vietnam would embroil the the U.S.A. inwards its fighting as well as this was only the starting fourth dimension of what seems similar constant interest inwards fighting unopen to the globe. 
   
It turns out Heithaus experienced a serious tempest related to the hurricanes that our province witnessed.  He recounts the crisis of the mudslide that cutting off the picayune small town of Monteverde from the surrounding towns.  They were all alone.  Soon Heithaus realized his identify unit of measurement was inwards trouble.  No electricity meant no cooking, etc.  Not long afterwards that, his identify unit of measurement took what picayune nutrient they had a moved inwards alongside some other American identify unit of measurement who had a gas stove.  He was starting fourth dimension to experience hospitality different anything he had e'er seen. 
   
This led him to acquire to know the Quakers a picayune more.  I appreciate his reflections.  He describes the worship experience I know first-hand---from beingness inwards Monteverde as well as many other Quaker venues.  “The Quakers hither are having an result on all of us.  As a lapsed Catholic who became Episcopalian, I’m inwards a novel place.  Pews facing an altar traded for elementary benches arranged inwards an oval.  Liturgy as well as sermons turned inwards for an hr of apparently tranquillity broken only past times a mortal moved to speak.  High church building incense replaced past times clouds slipping through an opened upward door.”  Quakers get together inwards silence, expecting God volition exhibit up, simply similar whatsoever Catholic or Episcopalian gathers inwards their ain format.  But most groups produce non sit down inwards a circle as well as pass much fourth dimension inwards silence.
   
Heithaus begins to connect his grieving alongside the experience of worship.  He says, “I kept thinking close the presence of absence.”  In the midst of loss as well as landslide, he feels “the calm as well as steady presence of the Friends meeting, a silent, palpable resolve.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 willingness to endure.”  These 2 sentences volition accept some fourth dimension to ponder as well as digest.  As a Quaker, I appreciate his perspective on our gathering for worship equally a “steady presence.”  That is a skilful argue why I hold going.  I tin respect presence there---the presence of other people and, occasionally, of that Other Presence I telephone phone God. 
   
I similar how Heithaus talks close our “silent, palpable resolve.  Maybe the spiritual does offering folks a dose of resolve that supersedes what nosotros are able to muster on our own.  I similar his interpretation of this resolve equally a “willingness to endure.”  Sometimes that is what life asks of us.  Life asks us to suffer loss as well as hardship.  Sometimes it is a landslide or fifty-fifty death.  It is amend to experience these inwards the midst of community.  
   
His article closes alongside this profound thought.  “And as well as therefore inwards trying to escape loss, I’ve institute more, but inwards the absences hither I’m learning to tranquillity my ain presence, inwards social club to save what life remains.”  We are all living our lives---vulnerable to the not-yet.  I am reminded of my demand for community, for quiet as well as for promise that comes from inside as well as from without via blessed community.
   
I may never run into Joseph Heithaus, but I give thank y'all him for letting me experience healing inwards the clouds.
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