Episode 14: What is the Story that is Enough?
Chris tells a story, attributed to Elie Wiesel, about a time when the world was in chaos and disorder and a Rabbi asked what he could do and was told to go into a certain forest, to light a candle, and to say a certain prayer. He did so and peace and order was restored in the world. However, over lifetimes, chaos and disorder descended again, but people forgot where the certain forest was. A Rabbi tried lighting a candle and saying a prayer – and it was enough, peace and order was restored again. Over many more lifetimes, chaos and disorder arose again, but the people had forgotten the prayer. A Rabbi lit a candle – and it was enough, peace and order was restored. Over many more lifetimes, again chaos and disorder arose. There was a Rabbi who didn’t know the forest, about the candle, or what the prayer was, but he knew that once there was a story of how to restore peace and order – and knowing that story was enough! Peace was restored once more.
Chris asks Dave about how we can find that story is that is enough in contemporary times.
Dave recalls the Bertolt Brecht quote:
Motto
“In the dark times, will there also be singing?
Yes, there will be singing.
About the dark times.”
(Bertolt Brecht)
But Chris does not find this a positive enough response. Dave summarizes a Philip K Dick story in which the individual human is doomed, but humanity is saved, but this still does not satisfy Chris. Then Dave invokes Robert Jay Lifton’s concept of the “witnessing professional,” and Parker Palmer’s “the new professional.” Then Dave recalls when he was working with Joseph Rael (Beautiful Painted Arrow) on writing Walking the Medicine Wheel, and Joseph recounted a “dream or a vision” that Wah-Mah-Chi (the Tiwa word for God – Breath-Matter-Movement) holds back a place of goodness in our hearts – no matter what we have done and no matter what has been done to us. In this sense, when we feel lost, when we lose ourselves, when we feel that we have lost our souls – the work is not actually to find something that we no longer have, but rather to reconnect to what is already present deep within our hearts.
We look at this story from different perspectives and ponder how to find the story that is enough for these times.
We also discuss two pieces of writing, that we have each been working on independently, and realize a common theme about being scapegoated and trying to figure out a story that makes sense of the situation and that is enough for each of us to go on. We also talk about passive bystanders who could speak up, but choose not to – and we wonder how we can all preserve on our humanity by preserving the humanity of others.
Dave reads David Wagoner’s poem, “Lost.”
Lost
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
(David Wagoner)
Chris leads a guided imagery mediation on finding our own inner forest, our own prayer, and our own light to work for peace in ourselves and then to carry that forth into the world.
We have decided that this 14th episode is the beginning of season 2 of the Becoming a True Human podcast. We are introducing a new format where we will alternate between the two of us doing our usual podcast, having a special guest of one of our VA Whole Health friends, and then having a guest that we choose outside of our healer’s circle of friends.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/63f0qUiXE2xURFUPwiyLqj
YouTube: https://youtu.be/0oXcLZKB02Q
Being Fully Human 