One of my most favourite things is writing and leading retreats. I love to create a whole experience that unfolds over the day or weekend or week; a journey that involves lots of silence and draws people into their silence through alluring and off-beat invitations. It takes a lot to get people to book into a retreat and often it’s the title or theme that clinches the deal.
Living Room: A Walk Through The House Of My Life is a retreat I’ve led many times now. During the retreat participants are given the makings of a folding cardboard house; this house is blank to start with and as the insights of the retreat unfold the walls, roof space and floors of the house are collaged using visio divina (Holy Seeing) and the end result is a profoundly moving awareness of oneself as the dwelling of God. No-one realises at the beginning that this is where they are headed – it’s not a secret, it’s just that the “aha” can only happen after some of the other “rooms” and explorations have taken place.
Essentially this is spirituality as the “art of homecoming” (thanks, John O’Donohue!). Winnie the Pooh has been a marvellous guide to this homecoming journey to my retreatants. One of the Lectio readings used is from The House at Pooh Corner in which Owl’s house is blown down in a storm, Eeyore finds him a new one which (awkwardly) turns out to be Piglet’s and Piglet is left homeless...for the few seconds it takes for Pooh to say, “You’ll come and live with me, won’t you Piglet?”
Pooh is a Christ-figure. Piglet finds his true home in Pooh’s house. Pooh brings out the best in Piglet and in such disarming ways! Without hesitation, Pooh offers all that he has and is to his fearful and small companion. Piglet’s generosity in letting his house go without a word (I think the Desert Fathers and Mothers would commend his discretion) is met with a richer generosity which means he no longer lives alone. Owl’s loss is provided for, Eeyore is allowed to be a hero and the whole woodland community is content.
This little excerpt is often a catalyst for people to relax into the retreat and the inner work it invites. The charm and humour of the story gently brings down defences. The offer of a home with Pooh is hard to resist! As the retreat resolves on the last day there is a deep sense of at-homeness; acceptance and sacredness of persons as the dwelling places/temples of the Holy Spirit. Jesus within.
The more I ponder this and the more I think about the radical grace that meant God gave Godself to all the cosmos, even though the cosmos didn’t ask for it; that at Pentecost God poured the Spirit into all flesh, the more I find myself marvelling at St Teresa of Avila and her “homecoming” insights. The soul is the centre of the human being. Within the soul is Christ. All souls have this indwelling Presence but people are largely unaware; even completely unaware! Some are so disconnected from themselves they are not even in the castle grounds (to follow Teresa’s schema) but they are down in the town or, I reckon in some cases, in an entirely different country! The journey of the soul is toward home and home is found with Christ, in Christ and maddeningly and wonderfully Christ is found with and in me. With-in. Within.
Coming home to myself has meant believing the truth about myself “no matter how beautiful it is”[1], saying “yes” and “doing stuff scared.”[2] I’m not much of a goal-setter –I hate goals! But expressing my desires on a page works for me, somehow. Christine Valters Painter in The Artist’s Rule suggests taking a bold line and free-writing a poem from there. Pooh does this too! He empowers Piglet with a heroic hum and I reckon we all need one of those.
In writing my “mystic” poem some years ago I found a particular homecoming that continues to empower and invite me ...
I am going to start living like a mystic
Like
Hildegard
Making paintings
And writing
Greenness and truth
Viridity and verity
My life will be green
And true
Like
Julian
In opening my window to the one who needs to be
Heard
Thinking big thoughts
In a small place
And sewing
I am going to start living like a mystic
In holding a compassionate view
Of myself
Of God
Of the world
As a mystic
I dare to enter
My own inner life
And pursue Jesus
Through the bright and dim
Places
Collapsing together
Before the fire
Burning cosily
That He lit earlier
Your turn. “I’m going to start living like...” And, as Pooh wisely[3]said, “in poetry – in a piece of poetry – you did it, Piglet, because the poetry says you did. And that’s how people know.”
[1]Velma Frye, Seven Sacred Pauses CD
Comments