reflectionary: divine liminality

written for a chime interfaith service delivered on 1/16/22

welcome to the divine in-between, to the holy holding, to the liminal space that’s “no longer here but not quite there”. it’s a space of power; it’s a place of uncertainty; it’s a realm of becoming that sometimes exacts a high price of passage and always asks us to be courageous. we remember, stepping from solid land on to swinging rope bridge, that courage doesn’t mean absence of fear; rather, courage requires fear. to be courageous is to allow the power of the heart, in french le coeur, to push through the fear and help us navigate to the other side. liminal spaces require boldness. transformation is fraught.

it is a mistake, in my opinion, to treat liminal spaces as empty and perfunctory doorways between place A and place B--between what-has-been and what-will-be. think of it less as a liminal space and more of a liminal span, a bridge strung between two bodies of land. you make the choice to step off of one side and hold in your heart the goal of arriving at the other, but please don’t make the mistake of closing your eyes and running, or of pretending that the distance isn’t so far or that the journey doesn’t require care. the liminal span is a world of its own, and it has unique merits apart from its role as a connector. it’s a place that offers deep wisdom to those who can cultivate enough presence to notice the creaky and weatherworn boards underfoot, to feel the frayed rope handrails, and to appreciate the vast expanse of mystery below, even if the height makes you a bit itchy or lightheaded.