As we slide into the new year, I have found myself thinking about liminal space, that place between the old and the new, when the old has disintegrated and the new is not yet here. Most of us are inclined toward returning to the old or rushing to the new, and we feel uncomfortable in liminal space. Yet liminal space provides a waiting space for creativity and growth.
2020 served up a lot of liminal space. We had no roadmaps for how to navigate a pandemic. None of our planning, not in our wildest imaginings, prepared us for this scenario. Part of me was tempted to devise a plan, any plan, to chart a course through the storm.
Another part of me knew we needed to wait. Our old ways of doing things were not going to work and a new way had not yet emerged. Prematurely rushing to try and manage everything could prove counterproductive.
So, we waited and we listened. We couldn’t do things in the tried-and-true ways, but the Spirit was still working. We waited to hear and see what the Spirit was up to in this time of COVID.
While COVID-19 was new, the experience of living in liminal space wasn’t. Others had traveled this road before us, and we looked to their wisdom. The time we spent in the liminal space with open, listening minds helped us shape our response to an emerging future.
While we still find ourselves living between the old and the new, learning how to live in lockdown or what it is to be an essential worker; shopping, visiting, worshipping online; creating our bubbles of safety with no clear end in sight; we have found that experimenting, trusting, and listening for divine guidance has served us well. Surprisingly, our attendance numbers are up. Our community has been generous financially. We are strong and we are thriving.
Yes, we still lack a roadmap. Yes, I am still tempted at times to rush toward a new plan. And, yes, it is often uncomfortable and difficult. But we have been exercising our trust muscles for almost 10 months and we have learned that living in this liminal space can be an adventure of listening, open-heartedness, and growth.
We do not yet know what this year will bring us, but I’d like to try and commit myself to living in this ongoing liminal space with an open heart and an open will.
I hope that even with challenges, we can all experience the blessings of this liminal space in 2021.
Shalom, Kathi
