We hear quite frequently that all around us is chaos. I got it. Go tell that to the crab. Or the snake. Or the lobster.
Each of these moults its own skin. When you’re halfway out of your skin, it’s chaos. They are maximally defenceless at that time. But, when they finish moulting their skin, they are bigger, brawnier, and better in every way.
I’ve told you earlier about a situation that resembles this. I was teaching an Inner City class at the University of Toronto and one student would make mincemeat of every class. I asked him to stay behind one day and was having a serious discussion with him.
It was hot and I began to take off my sports jacket. I had it halfway down my arms. Now am I not at this moment like the crab or snake or lobster halfway out of its shell? Am I not maximally defenceless when I have my sports jacket halfway down my arms?
The student chose that moment to throw a punch at me. There was nothing I could do. I had to simply take the punch to the eye, which I did, and then finish removing my sports jacket. After which I took him down to the ground and told him never to do that to me again.
Moral of the story. Chaos often precedes huge and rapid growth, on all sides. Chaos is an invitation for us to emerge. Chaos is an invitation for us to call ourselves forth and take command of at least ourselves and possibly even the situation itself.
Chaos can be lonely. It can see people turn on each other. It can see everyone get cranky. We may be thrown back on our own resources.
But emergence takes care of that because, when we emerge, love flows out of us, enough love to take care of our needs and those of others. Jesus was emerged and could take care of the needs for love of the disciples, the people who gathered on the Mount of Olives, and half of Galilee (I’m exaggerating a bit here). Emergence clears the blocks that prevent love from flowing.
So use this time of chaos to emerge and grow. Use it to stand forth and expand yourself. Step out of your own skin. Become who you always are, always were and are always meant to be.
Whatever you risk, whatever you lose is only what was meant to be lost. What was meant to be retained cannot ever be lost anyways. This is the time to risk. This is the time to emerge. This is the time to really make some mileage.