Iconic Images

Friends,

Most of us are experiencing some level of stress in our personal daily lives these days compounded by our awareness of the terrible strife of warfare throughout the world, refugee dislocation here and abroad, and political uncertainty in our own country. And in addition many of us are caregiving family and friends in various levels of crisis. And all of us, of course, also live with our own pressing health and welfare issues. On various days I just want to block it all out and avoid the news and any sense of responsibility. But mostly I try to practice maintaining a presence to the life surrounding and beyond me as part of my privilege of my receiving the gift of life itself.

To help ground and “center” me in the midst of all this, I am committed to taking time each morning for solitude and meditation. I like to think of my meditation time as the practice of trying to train my attention and awareness to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state of body, mind and soul. My experience with meditation varies. Some days my mind is full of distraction and my body is tense. But other days my body, mind and soul settle into a special quality of quiet and relaxation for which I am always deeply grateful. I don’t consider my experiences with meditation as unique to me but available to all willing and able to engage Spirit with the same openness that I do.

During some especially settled times of meditation I have insights (or “leadings” as we Quakers call them) that come from somewhere slightly beyond my active consciousness, and I especially value these “mystical” moments as gifts that invite - or sometimes compel - me to recognize life at a new level. Sometimes it is simply that I need to call or reach out to a particular person, and I later learn how important it was that I did so. Other times I may see a completely new way of looking at a relationship or problem. In general I often experience a particular openness or freshness in my life: my deep meditation allows me to be able to transcend my usual thought and experience patterns.

During one of my recent quiet meditations I felt a sudden compelling need to have a visual representation that would represent a composite of the best of my values and my character, what I decided to call an “iconic image." I thought of the traditional iconic symbols like the cross, dove, Jesus or other holy person or symbol, a totem figure, or a photo or gift from a now departed family member or friend. My mind then sifted through all the personal possibilities that might have a unique meaning for me - the turquoise color of a glacier fed lake, a yellow rose that has special meaning for me, a cherished place to watch the sunrise, for example - but at first nothing seemed to offer the depth and fullness I sought.

Suddenly my mind settled firmly on the vision of a bubbling woodland spring that offers cool, fresh, and delicious drinking water.* Ideally I want to think of myself like that, a kind of spring offering life-giving clear water that feeds others as well as myself. Yes, it constantly needs to be “cleaned out” and tended from various forms of debris, but I love the idea that the spring-fed water rises regardless of how well the spring is tended. It simply flows naturally from a profound deep source as a tangible expression of grace. I have no idea whether others foster or seek this type of “iconic image” for themselves. I share my experience with the assumption, of course, that others do have these images whether or not they are consciously aware of them.

If you have read thus far I am hoping that each of you will now take the time to identify your own “iconic image” that rises out of your own subconsciousness, perhaps from deep in your soul, that may provide you with your own personal representation of what is a most important and worthy representation of your values and character as well.

So in addition to meditation’s provision of mindfulness and stress relief, meditation is also a means of accessing and naming a symbol of your deepest self which is the source of your own personal life-giving love and wholeness.

Blessings and peace,
Tom
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*The more I thought about the image of an artesian well I remembered that someone years ago told me that my surname Ewell is Welsh for an artesian well, and I was especially surprised and grateful for this reminder as well. And when I told Cathy of my image of the fresh spring of water she told me that in her travels in British Isles she became quite interested in seeking out the type of artesian springs which are considered to be holy sites from time immemorial. It is even more interesting and satisfying to know the apparent universal sacredness of spring-fed water. And I imagine this to be an even more important source of life in a desert oasis, of course.

As a further footnote, I want to add, given the excitement around the total eclipse on Monday, that perhaps the eclipse may represent for many of you something of the iconic wonder and awe of the cosmic universe of which we are only a tiny but relevant speck of life.