brother tadhg

Liminality In A Nutshell

Crave liminal experiences. Liminal experiences (liminal, from the latin for threshold) are places, times or events where you are 'in between', in transition, momentarily not where you were but are not where you will be. They are like doosteps - not in the house yet, but not in the street.

They can be fleeting, so make the most of them, and they can be frightening places. For that reason, even men and women of faith may draw back from the liminal - those places where we really start to perceive God and where things can happen. Watching a glorious sunset and understanding ones place in the universe can be very liminal, as can deep, spontaneous 'interior' prayer.

Yet, testing as they can be,  times of stress, illness, and suffering can also be liminal, and though tough,  they can contain some benefit, some new way of thinking, some insight. We can learn a lot from them. So crave those liminal experiences that draw us closer to the Divine and which allow us to find out more about ourselves. 
 

Tadhg Jonathan organises events on this theme. For more information see: http://www.caolait.org/meditation101 or http://www.caolait.org/cloudofunknowing or http://www.caolait.org/innercastle

Poem: Caol Áit

 

Atop a high mountain or in the valley below,
In the corner of your room or in the busy city centre,
May you find a 'thin place'.
A place or time so unique, so sublime.

A place where Heaven and earth collide,
And the veil of separation is unusually thin.
A time where you can almost feel the angelic wings,
And almost see the Divine shining through.

A 'thin place' is a holy bridge,
A door to the Throne Room slightly opened,
It is a moment in time and space,
In which we can dwell, and dance, and move, if aware.

A 'thin place' is an initiation to draw near,
To approach barefoot, in reverence and awe.
It is both seen and unseen.
Invisible we see you!

May you find a 'thin place' today.

 

 
 
 

Caol Áit (pronounced 'kweel atch') is Gaelic For 'Thin Place'.  A thin-place is where the veil that separates heaven and earth is lifted or is unusually 'thin' and one is able to receive a glimpse of the glory of God. Thin places are commonly associated with wild, wilderness areas but there is no reason to suppose that they only occur in such places...they could occur in town! And not only may they be locations, but occur at different times (and events).

It could be that 'thin places' are all around us, but in our busy-ness we miss them. They could be more common that we think. Maybe we need the (re)learn the art of slowing?

One interesting event for a 'thin place' comes from the Book. In Genesis 28:16-17a, Jacob has a dream about G-d, and it goes onto say, 'When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.' He was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! '.