The Great Reimagination
Listen: “Sailing” by Christopher Cross
Three words have described the work landscape of America during this season of pandemic—“The Great Resignation.” During an interview with Bloomberg, an organizational psychologist and professor at Texas A&M University, Anthony Klotz, coined the phrase in May of 2021. He was describing the the wave of people quitting their jobs (a record 4.5 million by November 2021) due to the coronavirus pandemic causing many people to re-think where, how, and why they work.
Even without a pandemic, adults frequently go through various kinds of life crises, just not so many all at the same time for the same reason. A great deal of literature has been written on the developmental stages of adulthood. I remember reading a book by Daniel Levinson in my forties entitled The Seasons of a Man’s Life. I was dealing with what I thought might be some sort of mid-life crisis, and I was searching for some wisdom. Levinson’s book led me to New Passages by Gail Sheehy. We have developed language around how crises can shape adult development—quarter-life, mid-life, three-quarter life crises—but rarely have we seen so many people go through a work crisis all at the same time in America. It’s usually a war, not a pandemic, that reshapes the work landscape of America so dramatically all at once.
The conversations around this national crisis can serve as metaphors for our personal crises. There are always adults in America going through various types of crises at any given moment—work crises, health crises, marriage crises, family crises, financial crises, faith crises, community crises—and how we navigate these crises determines how we show up in the world for ourselves, our families, and our communities. Does a great life crises become a great season of darkness leading to despair and decline? Or does a great life crises become a great season of darkness leading to growth and renewal? Or to put it pandemically: Does “The Great Resignation” turn into a season of “The Great Reset” or “The Great Reimagination”?
Over the last three years, I have been pondering my own personal three-quarter life crises—which peaked during a 120 day stint in rehab in Georgia (end of 2018-2019), during which time I lost my forty year career, my thirty-seven year marriage, my twenty-nine year community, and my forty-three year faith. That’s how it felt. Now my life in recovery has merged into this weird landscape of living through a pandemic. I’ve asked myself the question: Will “The Great Reset” of my life turn into “The Great Recovery” or “The Great Reimagination”?
Perhaps you’ve wondered about something similar in your own life recently. I’m guessing you have, at least some of you. It’s a scary question. It’s like asking yourself if you will survive. “Will I recover? Will I ever thrive again? Will I find new work, new hope, new meaning, new faith, new community, new love? Will I find my true self in this crisis or will I always be wearing a mask?”
There are so many things we can’t foresee, so many things we can’t control, and so many things we don’t anticipate. As I was writing this blog at the end of January 2022 and reflecting backwards, I thought of all the things in my life I didn’t anticipate. I didn’t anticipate a three-quarter life crises. I didn’t anticipate living in financial fear. I didn’t anticipate feeling abandoned. I didn’t anticipate struggling to hang on to faith and belief. I didn’t anticipate feeling such intense anger at myself, anger at God, anger at emotional pain, and anger at life. I never anticipated that my recovery—emotionally, relationally, vocationally, financially—would take so long (three years and counting). I didn’t anticipate the slow, sometimes agonizing process of recovery. I didn’t anticipate what it feels like to meet with over one thousand people I love, face-to-face, and ask them to forgive me. I didn’t anticipate starting a new nonprofit called Spirituality Adventures at this stage in life. You get the picture. I didn’t anticipate a season of personal crisis of pandemic proportions!
So how do we/I respond? I was recently listening to a podcast in which Jonathan Fields was interviewing Parker Palmer on his podcast called the “Good Life Project.” Palmer (an author, activist, spiritual director) was sharing some of his own journey through darkness and light over the course of his eighty-one years on planet earth. He was talking about two parts to our spiritual journey: (1) our interior life and what we put out to the world; and (2) our exterior life and what the world throws back at us. Crises emerge at this intersection, and it’s also where we find our purpose or calling. These “intersectional crises” can potentially lead to new growth. We need to find and access two resources for spiritual growth that leads to a “Great Reimagining.”
Finding true community. By community, I mean friends, family, and networks of people with which we do life—deep, authentic life. Honesty and vulnerability are the foundations for rich and deep community. Palmer says that we all need “sorting and sifting in a community that knows how to listen, that knows how to ask you honest and open questions, that does not attempt to save, fix, advise, or correct you; but simply lets you work it out in dialogue with other people.” This kind of community is rare, but possible. It’s something we all need. Palmer quotes theologian, activist Nelle Morton: “Out task in this time is to help hear other people into deeper and deeper speech.”
Finding our true self. By true self, I mean every part of our personhood—worst and best, shadow and light—which all together form our real, authentic self. Palmer reflects on the importance of finding our true self through the lens of his own mortality. In Palmer’s mind, the saddest way to die would be to not ever have shown up in the world as your true self. To come to the end of your life and say: “I had all these years on the face of the earth, but I never showed up as my true self. I always hid it away because I was fearful of what other people might think; and therefore, I was always playing my cards close to my vest and not sharing my gifts. I never showed up as my true self.” One aspect of our gift to the world is showing up as our true self—talents, gifts, joys, pains, darkness, and light. Even our suffering and pain can be a gift if shared with others wisely.
Small community groups. I am in the process of starting small, in-person community groups for the purpose of spiritual growth. If you live in Kansas City and you are interested in being a part of a small community group, please respond by email. I am building my support team through small community groups. I will meet with you in person to discuss this opportunity. Hope to see you soon.
Shalom
©realfredherron, 2022
