Old South Church’s Theological Book Group has just finished reading Anne Lamott’s Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair. It was a great read. It evoked some thoughtful discussion.
Some might argue, however, that from a technical point of view the book is not really a ‘theological book.’ Some might even call it a ‘self-help’ book. But such observations simply miss the mark. In an earlier blog post I spoke of theology as always being the ‘second act’; the first act being our experiences of the Holy. It’s out of those experiences that we can then begin to articulate faith. I tend to think mostly, but not exclusively, of those high and exalted moments when we find ourselves engulfed by grace. It’s often those 'apophatic' moments, moments when words are not appropriate or even relevant, that can move us toward God. We stand in silent amazement and, if we can or dare, whisper an almost inaudible ‘alleluia.’
Lamott, on the other hand, primarily, but not exclusively, looks out from the grit and grime of human life; some of it seen from the life she experienced before sobriety and some seen in the often tragic and violent world about her. She sees in those tough moments, as people come together in church and in community to embrace and then to help one another, grace at work. Grace transforming. Grace life giving. Grace.
She speaks eloquently, yet painfully, of what life holds for us at various times: ‘Somehow after a disaster or great loss, when we are hanging on for dear life, we struggle to understand how we will ever be able to experience cohesion and safety again.’ Using the imagery of a quilt, she suggests that quite often we find that our quilt has been given a lot of ugly patches. None of them even comes close to making anything like beauty or hope. But when you make the choice to live again, or perhaps to live for the first time, (for Lamott, to live is always a choice) you can start by sewing around those painful quilt squares with the embroidery thread of the same color. This begins to unify all of those crazy patterns and you begin to see a new ‘whole’ emerging with new perspective. One of our group participants picked up this imagery by suggesting that you can also create new squares so that those painful ones, which are still there, do not dominate. They become part of the larger context of your life and you can live again. Lamott once again: ‘When we agree to … being part of something bigger than our own wired, fixated minds, we are saved. When we search for something larger than our own selves to hook into, we can come through whatever life throws at us.’ As she reminds us: ‘its grace as an unexpected gift; grace as surprise.’
To be open to grace that comes as surprise! What an invitation. What an opportunity. Grace is there. Let’s be open to it. It’s redemptive. Rejoice!