The lingering whispers from visiting the Abrahamic Family House continue to resonate. Some are simple words that invite my thoughts to pause, consider, and embrace. There are two water features which triggered an emotional ripple through me at the time. Life has an unusual way of using the ordinary to teach and inspire.
As context, a shared metaphor in all three faith systems of Abraham’s children is water. It is used in ceremonies, illustrations, and wisdom stories. Family House has several water features which were commissioned to highlight the shared thread in their voices.
For me, I found the water whispers guiding me in the lessons of the moment.
We are linked to each other in ways we often forget. In rediscovering the connectedness between us, I see our relationships differently. We are bound by a shared heritage, the reality of being family, and the wonderful chaos that comes with both these facts. As I embrace the threads, I see you more clearly.
In our hierarchy of needs, it may seem as if our needs are unique. When I think of thirst, especially a parched, desperately needing to be quenched kind of thirst, I understand how others appreciate what I am going through. I may think, at times need to believe that I am unique and yet I am another’s brother, cousin, or extended family. What I saw as me in truth is, in truth, we.
In being still, an effortless reflection that emerges. In this reflection, we are all present even as we see through and beyond. I found myself seeing myself and others differently. It was more than images. I had the ability to see with an awareness and appreciation of how life’s winds ripple through our souls without bias or reservation.
In Abraham’s waters, “by taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people [I] have always been able to see what their [my] eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So, nobody has a good excuse.” (Romans 1.20)
