Paradox and Retreat

This morning is a day of coming and going here at The Canterbury Retreat Center. Most of our Northumbria Group has departed, and another group is coming in to set up for their program. I came over to breakfast early, then had time to sit on the patio and watch the morning unfold. There is something very important about water--whether it's a placid lake, a roiling mountain stream, or a meandering tidal river. I touch the surface of this lake with my eyes and watch the surface undisturbed except by the occassional jumping fish. The upside down reflection of trees is softened by the shifting morning light. Birds call to one another; squirrels chase each other in frenzied fever. It's warm enough to wear a t-shirt and shorts at 8:00 a.m. Spring is already here in Florida.

What have I experienced here in this sacred space--this space held sacred by each of us who has come together to form community? Well, I've picked up a couple of tips for my own work giving retreats. Norma and Sarah are very masterful yet unobtrusive in their guidance. I've been affirmed in my feeling that it is okay to be the quiet one; that I am comfortable with saying only the one (or two) things that matter. And I've learned that paradox is at the root of all that is Christian. Every place I look: scripture, prayer, community, sacraments--all is paradox, and I find I am okay with that concept. The water that borders this property creates a paradox in that it certainly supports life and makes the green space while it also provides the desert. There is solitude here, the wisdom of the desert bursts forth, and even in community, we can experience the solitude that helps us find the way to our heart.

I am looking forward to my journey to Northumbria this summer. It will be my first visit to the Community, though I've been interested in the group for a number of years now. I look forward to more time to be able to answer the questions. I want to experience the heretical imperative in new and more meaningful ways, and I want to continue to be made ready to listen and follow the pilgrim route.