I have just completed the
first of two eye surgeries that remove cataracts and implant a new lens in each
eye. This is a time of transition. The vision in one eye is improved
significantly while the other remains the same as before. My old eyeglasses work great for the eye that
has not had surgery, but not at all for the one with the new lens. The transition will continue through the next
surgery on the other eye and for some time after.
This is a liminal space for
me. Alan Roxburgh introduced me to the
idea of liminality. In a ritual, this is
the state of being on the threshold from one way of doing life to another. One is almost there but not yet. It is a time
of disorientation, stress, and promise.
The nation of Israel
experienced liminal space as they passed through the wilderness. They were no
longer slaves but they were not yet what God had called them to be.
Parents experience this
liminal space when children graduate from high school and begin college, a job,
or military service. Their sons and
daughters are not quite adults but they are no longer children. What will relationships be like in this new
stage of life?
When we change jobs--either
voluntarily or involuntarily--we find ourselves in liminal space. We knew the
expectations and environment in the old position, but what will be required of
us in our new role?
At retirement, we give up
what is familiar to move into a different pattern of life. Too often, we do this with a lack of clarity
and enter into a time of uncertainty and identity confusion.
When churches lose a staff member,
they find themselves in a time of change.
Many will grieve over the loss of a beloved minister and may even be
concerned about who might take her or his place. Will the new person be open to establishing healthy
relationships with church members? How
will church members have to change to work with the new person?
These are the experiences of life. The only way to deal with these liminal
spaces, these times of uncertainty and change, is to keep moving. Take the next step. Be willing to address what comes in a
positive way, seeking God’s support as we do so. Liminal space is not only a time of loss but
of promise.
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