“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”
~Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

Earlier in the week I was at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis to hear author Sue Monk Kidd speak. She shared not only a history of the books she has written but her own spiritual formation during those years, in the writing of the particular novels or memoirs. I have enjoyed her work for years and it was a joy to see her and to share in the gentle, sweet rhythm of her presence and words.

A few of those words have been nagging me. At one point she said:”Every life needs one great absurdity.” At first glance this may appear as a negative statement. Absurdity? But in the context she was speaking about, how she came to writing after having been trained as a nurse as was the custom of the time in which she grew up,it was anything but negative. This absurdity was indeed the step she made into her true, authentic self, the ‘who’ she was born to be. She was born to bring to birth stories and ideas that inspire, challenge, entertain and eventually transform the reader.

Absurd…..wildly unreasonable,illogical or inappropriate. So the definition goes. It reminded me of the times in my own life that something, something wildly unreasonable has drawn me toward the place that, later, proved to be exactly where I was meant to be. Has this ever happened to you? Perhaps it is happening right now. Perhaps there is some urge, some longing that just won’t let go, just won’t stop popping up in heart or mind. Whatever it is may seem, on the surface, unreasonable….wildly so….illogical or even inappropriate. It has been my experience that these are times to pay attention and to look for the opening that is calling.

Over the last weeks I have sat in meetings with wonderful people who are trying to understand and create vision for the church. These gatherings can be inspiring, frustrating, enlightening, challenging. Most of the time the conversation stays within the confines of predictable. I found myself longing for absurdity. Something that would jar us all off center and plunge our thinking and planning into illogical. For me, this is where the Spirit dances and, personally, I never want to miss the chance to weave and dip in what could become an opportunity of unimaginable creativity. That’s just me. I know others prefer the predictability, the knowing what is what. I pray there is room for both.

But hearing Sue Monk Kidd make the statement about absurdity, great absurdity, has me thinking and hoping for just such a thing. For myself. For those I know who are itching for something they can’t name. For the institutions that know they must change or cease to be. For the young folks, and the not so young, I know who are searching. For those who have chosen the well defined path but have a pull within that won’t let them go.

For some reason her statement made me think of all the folks in scripture stories who were visited by great absurdity. When you think about all those many of us claim as spiritual ancestors, their story is only told because a great absurdity came into their life. Moses. Mary. Paul. Ruth. Esther. Jesus. All of these who are a part of the roots and branches of our faith tree had their lives shaped by a wildly unreasonable, illogical, inescapable event or experience that led them to their true selves. Why would the same thing not be true for us?

Yes, the Spirit is still dancing. Still calls us to respond….sometimes wildly….sometimes without any logical reasoning……sometimes in ways that may even seem inappropriate. And yet saying ‘yes’ to this Dance Partner may make all the difference in our lives……and in the life of the world.