Creation Waits

Photo by Chuck Hoffman © Genesis+Art

Holden Village, Washington  

We are a small group of people in the Village and down lake tasked with a huge challenge. Thousands wait patiently—and some not so patiently—for its outcome, while long, hard hours have stretched our concept of time. A little more than a week ago Holden was at an Evacuation Level 1. Much has happened since then, and the time between seems far more vast than it actually is. Creation has its own time.

Our Holden team has worked hard with a single goal in mind: to protect our beloved Village. It's not just about buildings, although that’s what we are defending. It's about safeguarding the sacred place that forms so many memories, life changing transformations, and hope.

Photo by Chuck Hoffman © Genesis+Art

Marc and Nancy Rerucha Borges, Andrew "Zumba" Kingsriter, Holden’s Chief Firefighter Jeff Pierce, and I have been working to compliment the preparation lead by the hotshot crews. We know many of the crew by name and have shared conversations beyond fire. Last night, after 15 hours of work, our day continued in the dish pit. I looked out into the Dining Hall to see the hotshot crews vacuuming, washing tables and chairs, and treating our home as their own. The spirit of Holden has a way of drawing us together that’s not dependent upon repetition or familiarity. It rises from grace and love.

The Wolverine Fire is drawing us together as it impacts the Village, and even more importantly, our vast community. We wait for updates; we share our memories, and wonder what lies ahead. The lines between eras are blurring as we come together around this unfolding story and reflect on what makes Holden, Holden.

As I work my way through the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of this journey I find myself seeking the “why.” The morning briefings begin by asking the “why.” Why am I doing what I am doing? The things that at first seem important end up being distractions and get moved aside to reveal the precious elements. Perhaps in this way, the fire burns up the old fuel, leading to the renewal of life, and revealing love at life’s core. Love is more powerful than anything I know to sustain life. We are grateful for your love, support, and prayers. While our community finds itself in many states of mind—and I do not presume to know where each of you are—I would like to share this blessing that I have been reflecting on, and in which I have found meaning.

With good courage, Chuck

FOR LIGHT by John O'Donohue

Light cannot see inside things.
That is what the dark is for:
Minding the interior,
Nurturing the draw of growth
Through places where death
In its own way turns to life.
In the glare of neon times,
Let our eyes not be worn
By surfaces that shine
With hunger made attractive.
That our thoughts may be true light,
Finding their way into words
Which have the weight of shadow
To hold the layers of truth.
That we never place our trust
In minds claimed by empty light,
Where one-sided certainties
Are drawn by false desire.
When we look into the heart,
May our eyes have the kindness
And reverence of candlelight.
When we are confined inside
The dark house of suffering
That moonlight might find a window.
When we become false and lost
That the severe noon-light
Would cast our shadow clear.
When we love, that drawn-light
Would lighten our feet
Upon the waters.
As we grow old, that twilight
Would illuminate treasure
In the fields of memory.
And when we come to search for God,
Let us first be robed in night,
Put on the mind of morning
To feel the rush of light
Spread slowly inside
The color and stillness
of a found world.

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