Water.
It's simple and unpretentious. Yet, paradoxically, it is powerful – the elixir of life. Water is the base of our amniotic fluid, our pre-birth surrounding. And – as we go through life – it’s our cleansing friend.
Water creates an aura of tranquility. The sound of rain is a favorite sleeping aid. Whether it's a rustling brook, or a majestic fountain, water creates a personal island of serenity. And, of course, water is the foundational sustenance of all life.
In Torah thought, immersion in a pool of water – known as the Mikvah – is a 'conduit' that helps guide us from one spiritual stage to the next.
Women immerse themselves as part of their journey through life's cycles. And men regularly use the Mikvah as part of a 'rebirthing' process, shedding one level of personality in the aim for a higher one.
In the Jewish conversion process, the candidate actualizes his/her journey through immersion in Mikvah-waters, which brings his/her new identity into full blossom.
So why does water also serve as a metaphor for life's difficulties?
Why do we speak – even Scripturally – of the 'rushing waters' that threaten to extinguish one’s flickering flame of hope, or the ferocious tide that threatens to knock you off balance?
How do I reconcile the Mikvah’s serenity with the raging waters of Noah's flood?
Then again, maybe that's the point.
The babbling brook’s tranquility is calming, relaxing, stress reducing.
So much of life is actually about facing the raging tide, because that’s the way to access our inner potential.
I shouldn’t be afraid of the rushing water, I just need to be prepared.
I need my ark. When I’m emotionally and spiritually cocooned, when I've found internal fortitude and focus, when I'm anchored to firm principles and vision….I can face the rushing waters, and have them lift me higher.
Contemplative prayer and study is our protective boat, our personal Ark, protecting us from life’s deluge. And helping us use the challenges, life’s waves, to rise higher and higher.
Welcome aboard.