Posted by Diana Robinson, Ph.D on May 08, 2001 at 18:04:02:
Most of us are familiar with the Dark Night of the Soul,
with the feelings of alienation and separateness that
come from hitting a spiritual dry spot. Sometimes these
come from a stage of life, of growth, that we are
traversing, and they will end when we get to the other
side of whatever our traverse may be. Sometimes they
are a result of our choosing to take a path that is not
congruent with our true beliefs and values. Sometimes, I
believe, they are just the result of a dry spot.
The question is, what to do when we encounter them?
When there is a traverse to be completed, the task is
often to simply "keep on keeping on," one foot in front of
the other, until we get to the other side, wherever that
may be.
It is relatively clear what needs to be done when the
Dark Night comes as a result of our own deliberate
choices. We need to change our choices, change our
path, take responsibility for our actions, 'fess up if
appropriate, make good, where possible, to those we
may have harmed, and get back onto a path that DOES
match our beliefs and values. Not easy to do, but the
road is relatively clear.
Where things can get murky is when we feel this
separation, this dry, dreary aloneness, and we don't
know why. It is then that the religious among us may
echo "Why hast Thou forsaken me?" It is then that some
may turn to medical treatment - and, on occasion, this
may be warranted, for such alienation may indicate a
medical problem. Yet, at times, what is truly needed to
re-establish that flow, that connection that we seek, is to prime the pump.
When a pump is left unused for a while its innards
shrivel a bit (sound familiar?). Then, when the handle is
pumped and the thirsty seeker tries to draw water, there
is no pressure, no seal, that will help bring the cool, clear water to the surface to slake our thirst. It is necessary to prime the pump by pouring a little water back DOWN the pump so that the abundant supply may then begin to flow.
How can we prime our spiritual pump? We all need to
find what works best for us. Ironically though, just as the thirsty traveler gets more water by "throwing away" the precious prime supply left beside the pump by the
previous user, so too may we find that we need to do
what seems useless so as to prime the spiritual pump.
Some examples, and there are many more - you can
experiment to find the ones that work for you, if you have
not already...
-It may feel useless to pray, as though no one hears, but
pray anyway.
-It may feel impossible to get "there," but meditate
anyway.
-It may feel as though the ills of the world are so
overwhelming that one person's efforts are useless, but
find a way to serve, to contribute, anyway.
-It may seem difficult to envisage a Creator in the
sometimes crazy world in which we live, but search
anyway. Look for meaning in small things. Be alert for
those "postcards from God" that seem at times to be
addressed solely to one individual at a time of need.
What constitutes such a "postcard"? Anything, usually
something from nature but sometimes a meaningful
"coincidence" or an unexpected reaching out from
someone, maybe a stranger... these things do happen,
and when they do, they usually bring a prime for the
pump.
Notice these times and treasure them. Not only can they
happen just at the time that the pump needs priming, but,
if cherished in memory, they can serve in the future as a
reminder that the well is never really dry.
I hope you never have that dreary, "dark night"
experience, and so never need this article. But if or
when you do, just try priming pump and see what
happens!