This week, we have been focusing on rebuilding. One of the assumptions we carry is that there is always something to rebuild from. But what is that core? This very poignant story from a past Radiolab offers a glimpse into one of the deepest fears for many people: what if we lose everything, even our memory?
The story of Clive Wearing is a stunning reminder that even when all seems lost, we may be deeply rooted in some core joys that transcend time, location, even memory. Even though this episode focuses on the psychological and neurological ramifications of having some core pieces of ourselves in some “secure vault” beyond accessible memory, it is not a far stretch to consider what it means to be spiritually rooted in these same places. For Clive, those places are love, and music.
This is about a 15 minute listen; I encourage you to find time today to hear the story and think about not the loss, but what remains at the core of Clive’s story:
http://50.31.154.44/radiolab/radiolab060807c.mp3?downloadId=53ada24f47691116_FmAn7EFy_000000KUmt2
Website reference: http://www.radiolab.org/story/91578-clive/
Both in my professional life, and in my personal life, memory loss is a very real phenomenon. But, as we reflect on this theme, I wonder what can be rebuilt if we could transcend the loss, and touch a place of core connection. Whether that is the person with Alzheimer’s disease who lights up during a familiar hymn…or someone with whom we stop arguing over factual detail differently recalled and instead, find a core of deep relationship and love that is resident in a place beyond factual detail.
Whether it’s in Clive’s story, or in our own, those moments where we touch an impermeable core even in the midst of crumbled reality are moments where we come into contact with a divine truth. They are our core. They are the foundation on which faith, love, and hope can be rebuilt.
Sacred Space 