Entering Liminal Space
Opening Prayer
Enter into a time of prayer this morning. You can choose to head over to your dedicated prayer space/altar. Take some time to free yourself of distractions. You can choose to repeat this prayer “Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner.” slowly and meditatively. Take as long as you need to become present to God in this time of prayer. When you have come to an interior stillness, move on to the step.
Reading
Read the reflection passage below on Liminal Space:
Human life is a Holy Saturday. We are still awaiting Easter. We are not yet standing in the full light but walking toward it full of trust.” – Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI
Liminal space (which comes from the Latin word “limen” that means threshold) is defined as an in-between stage, a neither-here-nor-there period. Examples of liminal spaces include the period of time when you find yourself between jobs, the months between graduating from University and finding your first job, taking a leave of absence from University, waiting for National Service to begin after graduating from junior college/polytechnic/ITE etc. Essentially, a liminal space is one of transition and transformation.
The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed most of us into a new liminal space. Many of us find that our lives have been suspended, that we can neither more forward nor retreat. Perhaps you had to suspend your studies indefinitely and fly home from overseas. Perhaps your job search is prolonged because of the bad economy. Perhaps your daily routines have been severely disrupted because of the measures put in place. Whatever it is, we find that our lives have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in ways that we cannot control. For many of us, our lives have come to a screeching halt. What can you choose to do in this liminal space?
“It is when we are between, have left one room but not yet entered the next room, any hiatus between stages of life, stages of faith, jobs, loves or relationships. It is that graced time when we are not certain or in control, when something genuinely new can happen… Much of the work of the biblical God and human destiny itself is to get people into liminal space and to keep them there long enough to learn something essential and genuinely new. It is the ultimate teachable space.”
– Richard Rohr
For the disciples two thousand years ago, they were also pushed into a liminal space on Holy Saturday. On that day, time stood still. Imagine yourself in their shoes. For three years, they had been faithfully following Jesus. They had seen him work miracles, teach with authority, cast out devils and he was compassionate and kind. They had given up everything to follow him. But on Good Friday, everything changed. He was crucified and they found themselves alone, forsaken and their lives were changed. What should they do now? There are two options – they could have chosen to run away and hide, or wait in hope that all Jesus had promised them will one day come true. We know from Scriptures that in this liminal space, the disciples chose to do the former.
As we find ourselves in this liminal space, we too have a choice. We can choose to run away and hide, or we can choose to wait in hope and allow God’s grace to work in us and to teach us that we may grow from this moment of grace. Which will you choose today?
Reflection
Reflect on the questions below. You can choose to journal/draw your reflection
- What struck me from this passage, and why?
- How can I allow the Lord to transform me in this liminal space?
