TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES . . ..

   

   I never met the Reverend Doctor Richard "Dick" Young.  He died before I became affiliated with the hospital where I now practice.  In 1947, he began the program out of which has emerged our counseling network.  On his office wall he had a framed needlepoint: "When you walk around in people's lives, take off your shoes.  You are on Holy Ground."

    "Holy Ground" refers to the call of Moses to be Yahweh's advocate for the Israelite captives in Egypt. (See Exodus 3:1-6)
As I understand and experience it, when a counselee becomes aware of touching a profound dimension of their Being and we both know that it is not of our making ...either of their own intellect or my professional 'know-how'...then we are on "Holy Ground", something greater than ourselves. (Don't get nervous, I hardly refer to 'hearing voices'.) 

    Many of our once honored words have lost much (or all) of their luster, potency and maybe even meaning.  Words such as 'reverence', 'respect', 'awe', even 'holy' slide off our tongues and out of our mouths with little reflection about the "OTHERNESS" to which they originally pointed.  'Causes' or 'Reasons' for this debasement abound.  I think a major culprit is the sheer acceleration and distractedness that many feel.  It is almost counter-cultural to suggest that someone 'slow down, you're moving too fast. Gotta make the moment last . . ' (somewhat akin to the Simon and Garfunkle lyric.)  If the only thing that is "Real" is that which is in front of me and apprehended exclusively by the five senses,  then my vision and comprehension become narrow, superficial, and even profaned.

    "Holy" is associated with something considered divine and transcendent that deserves special respect and reverence.  My clients and I seem to experience that more often when two circumstances prevail: we are asking good questions and we are paying attention.

   'Counseling' or 'psychotherapy' (at least in my understanding and practice) is not so much about giving "Answers" as  in "Getting the Questions Right".  [Personally, I get more than a bit skeptical of someone who purports to know the 'Answers' to Life's BIG Questions.  So here I am hardly speaking of the everyday, routine 'think it will rain?' types of inquiries.]

     'Data' is important and not to be despised.  But standing alone, it is not the totality of Truth, particularly matters that pertain to Meaning and Purpose.  The French writer, LaRouchefoucauld, claimed that the Heart has its reasons that Reason does not understand.  So, back to "Holy Ground".

    My colleagues and I sit with people who are often stirred to the deepest parts of their Being.  What superficial answer is there to offer someone whose world has crumbled?  The Biblical character Job has decendants who regularly wrestle with "Why?"  and "What Next?" in matters as diverse as: loss of a child whether through 'natural causes', accident,  or suicide; betrayal; aging and the loss of vigor; job or professional pressures; forgiveness or score-keeping; 'another chance' in life; and the list goes on.  An unknown author wrote that we get good answers by asking good questions.  

   One of the ancient Names for the "Holy One" was Wisdom.  On my office desk is a watercolor of an owl, traditionally associated with wisdom.  For me, it is a non-verbal reminder: that my counselees often have a portion of wisdom that for the moment is difficult for them to access; that having lived for 75 years, I have learned a few things that I hope qualify as wisdom (including learning when to be less verbose); and that whether acknowledged by us or not, there is a Wisdom present that moves us toward greater Awareness and Clarity.  At times such as those, 'take off your shoes . . .'

    Satchel