The Storm

When you come out of the storm,

You won't be the same person who walked in.

That's what this storm's all about.

~ Haruki Murakami

When I first saw this quote, I thought of Jesus calming the storm (Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25); however, that story is more about who Jesus is and often leaves us feeling weak in our faith. Sometimes we need that reminder to renew our faith, but more often were looking to calm the storm.

The story I turned to instead is that of Jonah* fleeing Ninevah (Jonah 1-2). When the storm arose, Jonah asked to be thrown overboard, into the chaos of the waters, to save the others. Sometimes what saves us from the storm is entering it fully. It is not about fight or flight, but the courage to face the beast and letting it swallow us. It's terrifying! Fear dominates when we face a possibly terminal illness.

The story of Jonah is a classic Hero's Journey, a journey of transformation. Something calls us to the journey (often a medical crisis) and our initial reaction is to refuse. But when we enter the Belly of the Beast, we commit ourselves to transformation, whatever it takes. The belly is not so much stomach as it is womb, a place to generate new life. This is our Initiation to a higher consciousness. We will meet helpers along the way; find tools to use on our journey. But to do so, we must accept the womb of transformation.

Before the storm, Jonah was asleep (Jonah 1:5). To be asleep is to be unaware of the Spirit at work in our lives. It is to not be Woke, as the younger generation says; to not be aware of what's really going on. There is no wake-up call like a potentially terminal diagnosis! 😮 It is a call to pay attention -- to our lives, to our world, to our inner voice, to the Spirit. Yet so many of us want to hit the snooze alarm, whether that is ignoring the diagnosis or simply going through the treatment without exploring the deeper dimensions of our disease. What's it going to take to toss you overboard?

In the midst of the storm we must enter the womb which will bring us to new birth. Pregnancy is not easy! There's morning sickness, dietary changes, and back aches; not to mention delivery itself, with its pain and agony, it's hard labor, sometimes tearing, and blood. Even the fun activities like conception and nesting require work!😉 So too does this journey. Enter the womb. Wake up to what your spirit is using your body to teach you. Use this time for soul-searching reflection. Bring forth new life, even in the face of death.

*Jonah means Dove in Hebrew, a traditional symbol of peace and a symbolic indication of where the journey takes us.

Further Reading:

Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Bolen, Jean Shinoda. Close to the Bone: Life-Threatening Illness as a Soul Journey.

Adyashanti. Resurrecting Jesus: Embodying the Spirit of a Revolutionary Mystic.

Myss. Caroline. Entering the Castle: Finding the Inner Path to God and Your Soul's Purpose.

Hero's journey - Wikipedia

Videos:

The HERO'S JOURNEY - Joseph Campbell - Bing video

Jean Shinoda Bolen Lecture 3/8 Transforming Suffering into Your Personal Myth - Bing video

Music:

Awake My Soul - Mumford and SOns