My Spiritual Hot Spot
My definition of a saint, a spiritual giant, is someone who makes other people holy, just by their presence. Someone who engenders peace in other people’s hearts, who calls forth beauty and goodness and faithfulness in other people’s lives. Nurturing your own holiness, your own peace, calling forth your own beauty and goodness and faithfulness is a very good thing. No one can coax out of others what they have not found deep in their own heart. But the miracle happens when someone receives grace enough to become what we might call a Spiritual Hot Spot—a radiating, signaling presence that blesses anyone in range.
That miracle happened in my friend Barrie, who died a few weeks ago. After one disastrous chemo that promised little anyway, she decided against treatment. She would live her days.
Pam and I visited Barrie and her husband Patrick many times over the course of her illness. We would always read a poem and then sit for twenty minutes of Centering Prayer—pure silence that allows us to drift into the Presence. A great clock ticked in the background and the dog lay still as a monk. We would lay on hands and pray for Barrie’s healing…in time, for her final healing. Then in what I knew was a holy communion, we would share the latest juice that Barrie had pressed from beets, carrots and kale and ate from a platter of grapes and apricots and cheese.
Invariably I left feeling uplifted and encouraged—and I knew it was because I had been in the presence of a dying woman. How odd is that? Normally, that kind of exchange extracts energy from us. But Barrie’s deep faith and confidence spilled over onto all of us in that room. She was both clear-eyed about her impending death (at the end she was praying, “Why are you taking so long, God?”), and immediately present to this moment, and all the gracious and precious possibilities it held. Without a word, she was showing us the way, the truth and the life.
Two questions, then. Who is that Spiritual Hot Spot for you? And could you pray for the grace to be that for someone else?
Thanks, David. What a blessing she was for you – and the world. Peace, Johnna
Love the hot spot analogy. And love the photo and story of Barrie. You and Pam no doubt were hot spots for her, too. It’s reciprocal, don’t you think? Bless you, David.
Your insights help me as I grieve, losing my “hotspot”, Barrie. Thank you, David.
It’s a big loss—so people like us have to take up her mantle, be that Hotspot for others.
Judy Holding was one of my hot spots. God Bless her beautiful soul. And you, David.
So true of every moment spent in the radiance of her presence. Thank you David.
Barrie was, and still is, my spiritual mentor. She will be with us in Centering Prayer- always.
Thank you for this David. Beautiful words and questions to ask of ourselves. Thank to all other commenters for their kind words as well.
Tennyson wrote “I hope to see my God when I have crost the bar”. As I have mentioned elsewhere, for Barrie it was more than a hope. It was a certainty. As a loving wife to me she lived a life on full awareness of God’s presence and to the end was on a spiritual journey to a nearer presence with God. Your description of Barrie as a spiritual hot spot is both inspired and perceptive. She was a spiritual hot spot for many both within the church and outside. Thank for recalling Barrie in your written thoughts.
Patrick
All of us loved Barrie so much–and yet I know none of us feels anything like the loss you feel, Patrick. We uphold you in our prayers.
Thank you for putting this into words David. I recognize in them how she was a spiritual hot spot for me as well, and how the best way for me to honor her is to let that live on and continue to grow in me, as best I can.
In your eulogy for her last week, you told us how she was one of the “Ridge Riders” in the church–both inside and outside. This really spoke to me. She often incited insight, by centering the needs of others, and asking difficult (sometimes downright radical) questions. She was a hot spot in the sense of staying with the trouble, whatever it was, and not looking away when it was the easy or convenient thing to do. She knew that heat brings light.
You also reminded me again of the unexpected gift she gave as she celebrated her parting, with courage, awareness, and (above all) joy. She wanted so much for us to draw together and celebrate with her in these last few months. Thanks to you and Pam for being there for Mom, Dad, and the rest of our family.
Thanks for your reflections, Edward–and I love the emphasis you put on Barrie being a HOT spot in another way–of staying courageously with heated moments, until people could come to the truth. Beautiful.
Many years ago Bonnie Wilbur & I went to NYC to see The Lion King.During the intermission we started to talk with a couple standing near us. It turned out to be The Summers!!!!!What a nice way to meet!!!I am glad I knew Barrie. I am glad she went to Trinity. All whose lives she touched were the better for it!!!
I met Barrie in 1982 when my husband joined the staff of Trinity Cathedral, Trenton. I will never forget what a welcoming soul she was to this young “green” couple. Not only was Larry still fairly new to the ministry (7 years), but I gave birth to our fifth child, with the oldest eight years old, only ten days after our arrival. Barrie was tireless in her desire to help and noticed needs the average friend might miss. And they she mobilized help. At the same time, Barrie had this deep love of God that gave me such confidence in Him as well. We remained friends after we left the cathedral but I deeply regret eventually losing touch. I am comforted to hear she never changed. Patrick, we have the fondest memories of you as well, because we can’t think of Barrie without thinking of you. You, Edward and Matthew have Larry’s and my deepest condolences for your profound loss. Our hearts are sad for you but not for Barrie. She’s with King Jesus.💓 We will meet again. ✝️
Thank you, Priscilla, for being back in touch. That’s wonderful.