September 24, 2018
“People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.”
~ Isaac Asimov
When I was in ministry school in the early 1990’s, our class had a lengthy dialogue about what to say when called into people’s lives at critical moments. This could be the loss of a job, a severe injury, death of a pet, or the sudden or lingering dying process of a child, or parent, or partner. What do we say when the one suffering turns to us, asking, “Why is this happening?”
One faction in our group said we must explain that God is a part of this, so therefore we must put our trust in God. The other faction disagreed, saying the best response is, “I don’t know.” Because, in truth, we don’t know why this is happening–if we stay in the mental realms of thinking. Once we soften and move to the heart, the respectful response is, “I don’t know, but I will walk with you as more is revealed.” In other words, assuring the one undergoing great stress, “I’ve got your back.”
The term originated in military combat. The ones who stay behind in the foxhole shoot to distract the enemy while one soldier dashes out of hiding. Through The Anam Cara Journey, it has been revealed to me that the declaration, “I’ve got your back,” is also metaphysical. An affirmation to remind us that we are never alone. Learning to value the heart as much as the head is my life’s journey. And, I’m not talking about just the front of the heart. The heart chakra radiates through the entire upper chest, including both the front, solar body, and the back, lunar body. Both are integral for whole-heart thinking. The Sanskrit word for the 4th heart chakra is Anahata. It’s meaning is unstruck, oftentimes described as “the sound made by two things not striking.” Ponder that a moment!
I can tell you to your face that I’m here for you. But, better yet, I can show you that I’m here for you in ways you cannot see. That is, by honoring the back of the heart that is invisible to the one suffering. A gentle touch and soft whisper can help us remember that there are many sources of healing at work, always seeking our good. Just because we can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. So when I whisper to an anam cara, my soul friend, “I’ve got your back,” I’m reminding them that they are never alone. There’s a council of ancestors, angels and soul friends right behind them. All they have to do is remember, lean back a little, and allow the mantle of Infinite Love to embrace them.
When we embrace this as Truth, then the words “I don’t know” can bring comfort rather than strife. And, a reminder that we’re all in this together.
NEW ALBUM FROM PAUL McCARTNEY
“I Don’t Know” 4:27
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aef2eV7GmQw
‘I’ve got your back’, truely!