Awakening to Wholeness is a series of prompts, reflections, and teachings about how holding the tension of opposites can help us to heal division and experience wholeness. If you feel moved to share your own reflections, we invite you to email us with the subject line “Wisdom of Opposites” or tag us on social media with #EHoPWisdomOfOpposites.
Recently, I had a dramatic encounter with a beloved person in my life. As we were discussing mundane logistics and issues, the other made a comment about another person in our shared life. I took a deep breath and wondered if I should let the shadowy comment slide or help to bring it out into the light. I asked myself if the other was willing to see it clearly. I have learned that “true information,” when brought out into the light, can make us very uncomfortable, even defensive, if we are not yet interested or willing to see clearly.
Bringing it out into the light resulted in getting hung up on, but eventually, through the less tense medium of text, also resulted in a tiny increase of mutual self-understanding. I took the small risk of unsettling the relationship in order to allow for the possibility of more self-aware clarity of seeing. Things turned out fine over the course of a few more texts backs and forth, but it was an uncomfortable risk for me and a defensive experience for the other.
The encounter brought another truth into the light for me, which is the necessity of others in order to help mirror back accurate reflections of reality to us. We often depend on others’ perceptions and reflections in order to arrive at a full perception of reality. In the context of beloveds, the container of filial love helps to soothe the potential hurt. Yet, it is much more difficult when big truths need to be reflected back in our larger social circles. The wounds seethe, but we do not always have a container within which to heal social divides. Often, it is the prophets who not only clearly see the truth of a larger, Holy Whole, but who are also willing to take the larger risks in service to the rest of us.
Contemplative Questions
We offer the following questions as prompts to help you reflect on the presence of opposites in your spiritual practice and your life.
- When have you risked unsettling a relationship with a loved one in order to bring a big or uncomfortable truth to light? How did it feel? What was the result?
- When has a loved one risked unsettling a relationship with you in order to bring a truth to light? How did you feel in the moment? How do you feel about it now?
- How do you strive to mirror accurate reflections of reality to those you love? How do you strive to receive accurate reflections of reality when others show them to you? What practices, supports, or teachings help you in giving and receiving these truths?
Join the conversation! If you feel moved to share your reflections, we invite you to email us with the subject line “Wisdom of Opposites” or tag us on social media with #EHoPWisdomOfOpposites.
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