“I will remember them, and my soul is downcast, within me.” – Lamentations 3:20
In certain spiritual traditions, November 2 is known as All Soul’s Day, a time for remembrance and honoring of our dearly departed. The temporal world struggles with such loss, both the experience and the explanation.
Human events are riddled with mysteries, rife with rites of passage that defy complete understanding. The loss of a loved one certainly falls into this category; under some circumstances, the passing of souls seems senseless. In all situations, the loss of a loved one is an occurrence for which no one is ever fully prepared. This unyielding part of the human condition creates despair, tumult and a very uneasy tension between the tangible and the abstract.
However, there is great hope found in the notion of a soul which reaches beyond the confines of human form. Regardless of faith orientation, all spiritual practices include a narrative about what happens when we die. Whether one subscribes to Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism or some other belief, there is a common thread which firmly states this ain’t the last train. The manifestation of this belief varies….. greatly….. but nevertheless, it remains that each system allows for some version of soul continuity.
The very word belief introduces the possibility of doubt. In the temporal, tangible world, knowledge is grounded in facts, facts are predicated on evidence, and evidence is based on proof. The precise reason death feels so barren is the lack of confirmation about what comes next. Yet there is something deep down, in the still, small arena, that whispers “This ain’t the last train.”
How is this meaningful, for both coping with loss and fulfilling one’s own Sacred Assignment? If the mere possibility exists, that our loved ones’ souls are thriving, despite the absence of their physical selves, can we not rejoice in this fulfillment? Further, if each of us is on a journey, with a Sacred Assignment, that includes a multitude of mini-assignments…. does that not give us some breathing space, in terms of discernment, development and cultivation? If the soul is on a path….. and a detour occurs….. the chances of course correction increase dramatically….. assuming this ain’t the last train.
In my own personal life, I’ve had to consider the balance of my Sacred Assignment against the crushing personal losses I’ve endured. My grand”parents” (I put parents in quotations because they wore dual roles) reared me; I lost my grand”father” at age seventeen and my grand”mother”, who was also my personal hero, at age 35. I was born into loss….. both of my biological parents wanted me aborted. There is a psychological effect, in that awareness, that could easily derail a Sacred Assignment.
I’ve made a conscious choice to transform my losses into a deep desire. I am highly motivated to discover, develop and cultivate my Sacred Assignment. There are two choices in situations : resignation and defeat, or transformation and accomplishment. I am consciously choosing to move past lamentations, recognizing that life is a gift…. and my soul has purpose. Your soul has purpose, too. As some of us honor the souls of those we miss the most, let us move forward, in confidence, that we are still on this train for a reason….. and it ain’t the last train.
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