The in Between Time. From Easter to Pentecost.

Liminal Space

In this
waiting place
we loiter, hover,
on a tentative cusp,
a threshold,
between the familiar
and the unknown,
with no possible retreat.
The customary comfort zone
is gone, and where
the entrance ushers
is not yet seen.
Our new question
(let alone its answer)
still is ambiguous.
We are in limbo.
We can either hesitate
or go forward.
The gossamer veil
of divine nearness
flutters ever so lightly,
breathing inseparably close,
as we step to embrace
the unrevealed with trust,
a shimmering opportunity
for connection and listening
and being led right on through.
Lean into this portal;
it is the doorstep
to fruitful ground

by Polly Castor
3/31/2020

I have been thinking a lot about this time of the “in between.” This liminal space we often find ourselves in. For example, the space between the way it used to be before COVID and the way I hope it will be after COVID. And the space between the way it was before my parents died and the way it will be now without them. In general terms, the space between the way it was, asmy husband calls it, in “the before time” and the way it will be in the future. Or the space of the not-where-I-was and the not-quite-where-it-will-take-me.

No matter how we qualify it, this space can be scary, lonely, quiet, and uncertain. This space can be confusing, disorienting, and filled with anxiety. And it doesn’t always help to hear anyone say that everything will be alright. Words matter, yes. And actions matter more when we are in this middle place. What I need, what many of us need, is someone to listen instead of “say.” Someone to be there in person or virtually or on the other end of the line reassuring us that we are not alone simply by their presence with us on the space.

We are in a theological liminal space right now. That space between Easter and Pentecost. The space where Jesus told his disciples to wait until the Holy Spirit comes. Waiting is difficult sometimes. The good news is that God waits with us, listening to us as cry out for relief throughout our journey through the in between space, and gives us hope for the future!

Peace and blessings,

Pastor MP