Return to the Breath - June 3
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49, [53]; Eccles. 3:1-15; Gal. 2:11-21; Matt. 14:1-12
I’m sitting on my deck. It’s a quiet, early morning, except for the birds singing their chorus and the sound of my own breath. The sun is beginning to peek through the trees, casting singular rays of light between the leaves and beginning to warm the day. I close my eyes for a moment to take in the warmth, the singing, and my breathing. As I open my eyes, I feel the sun rays more profoundly…those glorious rays are pointing directly at ME. I feel summoned by God in this moment. This gives me the urge to breathe in the morning air deeply into my lungs and feel its presence in my whole body. I’m immediately reminded of the phrase I learned in yoga, “return to the breath,” and I feel empowered.
That same breath that blew over the waters at Creation…Ruach (in Hebrew) ... is the same Spirit that empowered the disciples at Pentecost…and it’s the same breath of life that I’m breathing in this moment.
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Lately, however, I have been haunted by the words, “I can’t breathe.” These are the words George Floyd cried out in his final moments of life. These words also hover over those who are suffering from Covid-19 and the people caring for them. Some of us are suffocating from the overwhelming responsibilities of managing caregiving, household, and work, or loss of work and trying to handle basic needs. We’re becoming more and more politically divisive. In many places, creation is gasping from the contamination and destruction of our earth. There is so much destruction and chaos happening right now. But if we are hopeful, it also feels like a shift towards creativity might be coming. I’m curious about what the Spirit might be up to.
The wisdom in Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a season for everything, and that God has ordered creation this way. While I strongly affirm that God does not cause the suffering we’re all experiencing, I do believe that God is present and uses all of life to somehow reconcile us. These words from the passage stand out to me, “it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.” I hear the emphasis in these words that God’s gift is for ALL people in cooperation with the whole of creation. Perhaps the wisdom in this passage is that this season of loss, grief, and suffering presents a time for us to remember that breath that created the world is still moving and we are sharing it. Maybe it is a time to return to the breath, focus on our breath, the same Spirit of God, and experience the presence of God, to pray and listen for creative ways we can work together to fulfill our Christian mission to love and serve the world.
— Susan Oakes
Susan Oakes is a rising senior at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. This summer, she is serving as a seminarian intern at Saint Stephen's, her sponsoring parish for ordination.
Questions for Self Reflection
How do you feel God’s presence?
Where do you see hope? Curiosity?
Daily Challenge
Return to the breath. Sit or stand tall with your feet firmly rooted in the ground. You may close your eyes if you wish. Take 3 deep breaths… in the name of the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer…filling your lungs and whole being with the breath of life…hold each breath for a few moments before pushing your breath out again. You may choose to do this several times during the day, giving thanks for the moments of gratitude, offering a prayer of lament or intercession, or simply as a cleansing breath to return to your center.