Dark Night of the Soul: Hurricane Katrina

There are no trite consolations that can be offered to those of us who are suffering, and especially those of us who are right now dealing with the aftermath of the destructive path of Hurricane Katrina. No words can undo the loss and pain, and quaint cliches only serve to trivialize the profound mystery of why these sad events occur.

St. John of the Cross was a Spanish mystic who lived from 1542-1591 and was a contemporary of St. Theresa of Avilla. He knew poverty and hardship from an early age, and though he suffered throughout his life, even being imprisoned and tortured for disobeying orders from the church, St. John of the Cross never lost faith in the order of the Universe and its intention for his greater good. He is best known for his work, "The Dark Night of the Soul," wherein he describes the murkier depths of the spiritual journey and its challenges and suggest ways for overcoming these obstacles:

"...spiritual persons suffer great trials, by reason not so much of the aridities which they suffer, as of the fear which they have of being lost on the road, thinking that all spiritual blessing is over for them and that God has abandoned them since they find no help or pleasure in good things...

It is well for those who find themselves in this condition to take comfort, to persevere in patience and to be in no wise afflicted. Let them trust in God, Who abandons not those that seek Him with a simple and right heart, and will not fail to give them what is needful for the road, until He bring them into the clear and pure light of love."

John offers that during the dark night it is best not to focus on the questions which plague us about the nature of our suffering, but instead to focus on the business at hand. Part of the mystery of faith in the Universe is the willingness to accept that certain things happen that will challenge our ability to understand them and the only solution is to allow these events to shape us, to make us stronger, and to endure the hardship knowing that it will lead us to a greater understanding of ourselves. These events will teach us how to serve our fellow human beings better because we will learn an empathy that only comes through the acknowledgment and experience of suffering and loss. This knowledge is a profound part of the initiation into the pathways of all mystery religions, and it cannot be taught in books. It must be learned by doing.

May our thoughts and prayers offer strength to our sisters and brothers who suffer through this tragedy at this time.