The Space Between

When COVID 19 first hit I was leading a nonprofit. It was housed - of all places - in a senior living complex. Within weeks it became clear that we could not return to the way things were. Leading a yoga class next to the room where Seniors were eating lunch during a pandemic certainly wouldn’t be safe for anyone involved. Suddenly, the way we lived our life as a business was no longer possible. But what was next?

In the midst of this realization, a mentor of mine, Sr. Judy Cauley, walked into my office, as she often did, with some insight into the situation: “We are in a liminal space. The old way has died. The new way hasn’t been born yet. We need to hold the tension between the old and the new.”

Liminal spaces are the spaces in between - the threshold places.

Picture standing in a doorway. You aren’t in the old room anymore. You’re not quite in the new room yet. You’re in the space between.

These can be very difficult spaces in life to navigate. The old way was familiar, maybe even cherished. The new way is unknown, scary.

Perhaps you can relate to being in a liminal space. For many of us the pandemic changed circumstances that led to major losses without a clear picture of what will come next - the loss of a loved one, a job, a community. Or perhaps you have experienced another big life change unrelated to the pandemic - the ending of a marriage, a surprise baby on the way, or the development of a chronic health condition. In any of these situations - good, bad, or unknown - the old way of life has ended. The new way of life hasn’t made itself clear to you yet.

Advent begins this week. A forgotten season, often swallowed up by Christmas on the way. While Christmas is full of bright lights and loud celebrations, Advent comes quietly. While Christmas bustles on, Advent pauses.

The word “advent” is defined as “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event”. For those in the Christian tradition, this season is more about the moment before the arrival - the liminal space. It is the space where we acknowledge the darkness and pain in our world and in our lives. It is also the space where we hold hope for the new life that is being born.

If you find yourself in a liminal space this Advent, take this moment to honor it. Let yourself hold the tension between the two. Acknowledge the grief of the loss of the old. Hold hope that new life is coming.