Through the wall of flame

As a frightened man in a burning boat
has only one way to the rest of his life,
we must move with courage
through the wall of flame
into the greater sea. 

Living long enough, we each find ourselves surrounded by an old way of being, thinking, or loving that is going up in flames.  In that unexpected moment, we usually find ourselves full of fear, feeling trapped by an old way of life coming in on us.  But this is the passage of rebirth that we must move through if our lives are to unfold.  It is the momentary and painful crossing from what is old into what is new.

It is understandable to stall at the wall of flame, not wanting to face all the burning around us.  Yet old ways can burn forever, and waiting for the flames to go out seldom works.  We can waste years in the waiting.

Like the frightened man in the burning boat, we must trust the greater sea we are jumping into will douse whatever catches fire as we move through.  This is what faith is all about.            

-Mark Nepo “The Book of Awakening”