Even Junk Can Inspire

 We look with uncertainty
beyond the old choices / for clear-cut answers
to a softer, more permeable aliveness
which is every moment at the brink of death;
for something new is being born in us / if we but let it.
We stand at a new doorway,/ awaiting that which comes . . .
daring to be human creatures, / vulnerable to the beauty of existence.
Learning to love.
    — Anne Hillman

If you are anything like me, you may feel like your inspiration, creativity, and productivity are not where you would like for them to be at the moment. We each have been through a lot lately, and we are all carrying so much. And in the midst of it all, difficulties, injustice, and violence in our world do not take a break. Finding balance has been enormously challenging. And even more challenging is our desire to create beauty, connection, and meaning out of all the “stuff” we juggle. This is why I was so moved and encouraged by a quotation I read recently by contemporary Danish artist Olafur Eliasson: “Art is about finding creativity in the gutter next to you.” I understand that to mean that even junk can inspire. The garbage and debris that we desperately want to get rid of may hold a prized insight. Our faith may find a brilliant gem or an essential advocate if we take the time to sincerely notice the “waste” we are tempted to throw out. Balance, in other words, may be as much about releasing unwieldy expectations as it is about strength and steadiness. The hope our souls are looking for may reach us in the most unexpected ways. We are challenged to see beyond the surface of things and into the heart.  Our faith—as well as art—teach us that.

See you in church,
Christy