Journal entry by Al Negstad — a minute ago
While he was working at The Alban Institute, Roy Oswald, wrote a monograph he called Running Through The Thistles. As a farm boy growing up in Canada he'd walk across large summer fallow fields barefoot. When confronted by a huge thistle patch he'd have to make a decision; should he try to tip toe through the thistles or run through them as fast as he could?
Running through the thistles was his metaphor for the way some ministers leave their congregation; just get it over quickly and move on. He argued that that was not good for either the minister or the congregation. With the grief work incomplete neither the congregation nor the pastor could helpfully engage with the future.
Bison made me think of Oswald's metaphor. Bison you say? Yesterday a classmate dropped in for a visit; one who, for fifteen years, raised Bison. Bison came up in our conversation as did my recent controlled burn of some grassland. He said that, while deer and antelope will run in front of a grass fire, bison wait until the fire approaches and then run through the fire to what has already been burned. As fire advances through grassland the actual flames are only about 5-10 yards deep. Bison run very fast so in a few seconds they are through the flames and out behind the fire line.
Running through thistles, or Bison running through flames, both could be metaphors for one way of dealing with grief; let's get over it quickly and move on. This may appear to be the easy way out but the short term gain will likely lead to later complications. T recently reminded me of a quote I used awhile back "What if the darkness is not the darkness of a tomb but a womb?" Valarie Kaur. This suggests that it is in the darkness of profound grief there is an embryo of life. Embryos develop slowly and so the new life that grows in dark grief may slowly evolve; just give it time.
Takk for alt,
Al
Running through the thistles was his metaphor for the way some ministers leave their congregation; just get it over quickly and move on. He argued that that was not good for either the minister or the congregation. With the grief work incomplete neither the congregation nor the pastor could helpfully engage with the future.
Bison made me think of Oswald's metaphor. Bison you say? Yesterday a classmate dropped in for a visit; one who, for fifteen years, raised Bison. Bison came up in our conversation as did my recent controlled burn of some grassland. He said that, while deer and antelope will run in front of a grass fire, bison wait until the fire approaches and then run through the fire to what has already been burned. As fire advances through grassland the actual flames are only about 5-10 yards deep. Bison run very fast so in a few seconds they are through the flames and out behind the fire line.
Running through thistles, or Bison running through flames, both could be metaphors for one way of dealing with grief; let's get over it quickly and move on. This may appear to be the easy way out but the short term gain will likely lead to later complications. T recently reminded me of a quote I used awhile back "What if the darkness is not the darkness of a tomb but a womb?" Valarie Kaur. This suggests that it is in the darkness of profound grief there is an embryo of life. Embryos develop slowly and so the new life that grows in dark grief may slowly evolve; just give it time.
Takk for alt,
Al
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