Still reflecting upon the spirituality of the arroyo, the memory of water in the desert. And another picture from our Big Bend hiking trip below.
Beyond the way the water of baptism shapes our lives over the lifespan, like the waters of the arroyo carving their way through the rocks of the desert, I was struck by another image regarding the memory of water while hiking in Big Bend.
Specifically, while there was some water in the Cinco Tinaja arroyo, we walked through many dry arroyos and sandy stream beds. While water was absent in these places water had everywhere left its mark on the landscape. The desert is full of the memory of water. We walked where water had recently flowed, and would flow again when rains returned to the desert.
St. John of the Cross in his famous book The Dark Night of the Soul actually describes not one, but two nights--the dark night of the soul and the dark night of the spirit. Few progress far enough along the contemplative path to experience the second night. But the first night is common to all spiritual pilgrims.
John of the Cross describes how the first dark night is characterized by aridity, a spiritual dryness. Everyone knows what this feels like. Our love story with God follows the familiar course of romantic love, where an early joy, excitement, passion, and infatuation gives way, over time, to routine and habituation. Even boredom. Passion cools and excitement fades to give way to the daily and unromantic work of sustaining a long-term relationship. Life with God goes through these same seasons. Where rushing waters of spiritual consolation and intimacy once flowed all that is left is a dry, desert landscape.
And it's here, in the midst of spiritual aridity, where the memory of water proves crucial.
As I describe in Hunting Magic Eels, enchantment, recovering and maintaining a vital spiritual connection with with God, is often a discipline of memory, fidelity to those "burning bush" experiences we've enjoyed with God. I've encouraged church and reading groups who read Hunting Magic Eels to make space and time for those in the group to share moments in their lives where they had a powerful encounter with God. For many of us, these moments were years, even decades, ago. Groups who have shared their stories with each other regularly report back to me that sharing and listening to these stories was the most powerful and revitalizing spiritual experience of their book gatherings. Memories of water. Current life might be spiritually dry but the memory of water, recalling the powerful and life-changing experiences we've had with God, brings refreshment and new hope.
So, my friends. Share those stories. Share memories of water.
