By the Way: Important to stay centred during times of chaos
By Oz Lorentzen on February 25, 2023.
There are a lot of things clamouring for our attention these days, earthquakes, nations posturing, sensational murder trials… I feel the need to be centred. But, as anyone who has tried knows, that is not so easily done; we usually carry the concerns and noise with us when we try to create a retreat, a space in which to regain our composure, to regain our selves. As I write this on Ash Wednesday, I realize that tradition has given us a valuable (albeit neglected) tool for recognizing what is important and setting priorities that reflect this – a valuable tool for recovering one’s real self – that is a reflection on our mortality. Imagine hearing the chilling words, “You have 24 hours (a week, a month) to live.” These words bring into sharp relief what is truly important – they recall us to our self and to our responsibilities to and for our Self. Try the thought experiment and you will discover what is important to you. Often this is our relationships with others. “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return,” the words of the rite, are just such an invitation. They too can bring about a clarity of mind and spirit as they draw me back towards my centre. My centre where I find the perspective I so often lack, where I find resources I had forgotten/ignored, where I find failings I had forgotten/ignored, where I find purpose and direction: There are a lot of things clamouring for my attention. I feel the need to be centred. Rev. Oz Lorentzen is from St. Barnibas Anglican Church in Medicine Hat 11-10
