 WEB SITESMacNair Travel Forest of Peace Webshots BOOK REVIEWSThe Ancestral Mind: Reclaim the Power A book by Gregg D. Jacobs, Ph.D.; Published by Penguin Books (2003) “It is in silence, and not in commotion, in solitude and not in crowds, that God best likes to reveal himself most intimately to men.”
According to Gregg Jacobs, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at Harvard’s Mind/Body Medical Institute, emerging scientific research suggests the answer to the paradox may lie within the brain itself. Dr. Jacobs believes we experience these feelings because we have become disconnected from our Ancestral Mind. Ever since the French philosopher René Descartes wrote, “I think, therefore I am”, the Western world has placed a higher value on the Thinking Mind, that part of our brain that is verbal, analytical, and detached from experience. The Ancestral Mind (AM) is the preverbal part of our brain that guides us through feelings and sensing. It motivates us to act through emotions rather than through a conscious, rational process. It relies more on experiential knowledge rather than analytical reason.The AM is also the part of our brain that needs time for solitude and reflection. We are hyperstimulated in the modern world in the form of cell phones, beepers, television, video games, and traffic jams. When we continue to operate in this relentless assault on our senses, our health and well being is threatened, depriving ourselves of the calm and tranquility that is needed by our Ancestral Mind. Pilgrimage is an opportunity to reconnect with the Ancestral Mind and rediscover one’s potential for wisdom and harmony that has been waiting patiently to be heard. By journeying with purpose, a pilgrim is intentionally present for the experiences they encounter in the places and cultures. A pilgrimage also provides the spaciousness for reflective moments that can provide insights and learnings about one’s unique destiny. Jacobs also offers the following guiding principles and needs which serve to connect us with the Ancestral Mind:
“ Silence and solitude provide a context in which to experience the essence of out existence, but so many of us have become alienated from ourselves, numbed by noise and distracted by busy work, that the prospect of such an encounter with ourselves seems almost threatening.” --Gregg Jacobs Jan Day Gravel
The Art of Pilgrimage A book by Phil Cousineau; Published by Conari Press (1998) An author, editor, photographer, pilgrimage leader, teacher, and documentary filmmaker, Phil Cousineau wrote The Art of Pilgrimage for those who intend to embark on a journey with a deep purpose but are unsure on how to prepare for it or endure it. His book was a valuable resource for me as I was preparing to embark on my first pilgrimage in 2002 to Egypt and the Sinai to follow in the footsteps of many influential spiritual ancestors. Helpful signposts identified for me were the various phases of pilgrimage – the longing, the call, the departure, the pilgrim’s way, the winding journey that can resemble a labyrinth, the arrival, and the return home. Rich with personal stories, Cousineau provides a historical context for pilgrimage. A poetic derivation of the word “pilgrim” reveals the word has its root in the Latin per agrum, through the field. This image suggests a curious soul who walks beyond known boundaries to discover or reconnect with the sacred center within themselves or to pay homage to a sacred site. While we tend to think of only the ancients such as Abraham, Saint Jerome, Chaucer, and Dante embarking on a pilgrimage, Cousineau brings the concept forward to include such modern day figures as Ray Kinsella in the movie Field of Dreams or Isak Dinesen in Out of Africa. As author Martin Palmer states in the book, “True pilgrimage changes lives, whether we go halfway around the world or out to our own backyards.” Most helpful are the practical suggestions and gentle reminders that travel as a pilgrim should include different preparations than our normal frenzied dash to the airplane approach. We are reminded to take the time to sit and reflect before we leave to be unencumbered of things forgotten to pack as well as any regrets we may be harboring in our hearts or pressures and tasks of home. Cousineau helps one to see the difference between a pilgrim and a tourist is the intention of attention, the quality of the curiosity. The metaphor of a pilgrimage is a journey with purpose. He outlines five excellent practices first inspired in a fifth century conversation between Zi Zhang and Confucius –
My dog-eared copy traveled with me again as I returned to Egypt in 2003 and will continue to be one of my favorite touchstones prior to embarking on another journey. Jan Day Gravel ABRAHAM: A JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF THREE FAITHS A book by Bruce Feiler; published by William Morrow, 2002 Having spent time in the Middle East on a previous trip with an archaeologist in a search for the stories of the Bible (described in his book, Walking the Bible) Bruce Feiler returns to Israel and parts of Egypt to trace the roots of the three main monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Walking to shrines, venturing into caves and speaking with religious leaders and local folk, Bruce Feiler seeks to understand how the three faiths which trace their roots back to Abraham can find a connection to future cooperation and acceptance. In his discussion of his experiences, he sections the book into the teachings of each of the religions, then explores the possibility of Abraham being the bridge to bring people of faith together, a task not as easy as he first set out to pursue. The book offers compelling descriptions of the many accounts of Abraham as they are reported through the lens of three different faiths. Personal reflections of sitting at Abraham’s burial site with members of different faiths gives the reader a glimpse into the feelings that are palpable as the author sits and ponders the meaning of the reverence for this ancient figure. Accounts of the desert and the people who live in this environment gives context for the stories and events that are told about Abraham and that are still valid today. One of Bruce Feiler’s conclusions sums up one of the author’s insights: “Abraham is like water, I came to believe, but not the oasis I had originally thought... He’s an ever-present, ever-flowing stream that represents the basic desire all people have to form a union with God." Donna Smither PILGRIM AT TINKER CREEK A book by Annie Dillard; published by HarperCollins, 1997 Annie Dillard recounts the year she spent at Tinker Creek, where she quietly immersed herself in a contemplative stance, absorbing the subtleties and nuances of nature bursting all around her. She describes in detail the intricacies of insects, for example, and their life cycles; the wanderings of snakes and other animals that occupy her property; and the majesty and mystery of the trees that silently and steadfastly grow and provide resources to the habitat. While Annie does not consider herself to be a scientist, she articulates the information that substantiates her observations. She collects pond water and as she examines it under the microscope, she relates the world of wonder beneath the lens to the textbook knowledge that validates the life swirling before her. She also muses about philosophical and theological questions as she spends hours and days pondering the simple yet complex interplay of life going on in nature. As the seasons change, she ponders the changes in our lives and our awareness or lack of it. Taking the time to be aware of all that is around us is not a usual occurrence in our hectic culture. Annie’s descriptions of hours spent watching, thinking, and just being, tease us to consider an alternative way of spending our days. In the simplistic day, she encounters God and the mystery of His world. She senses a greater Being who with great depth and creativity has created a world of color, imagination, uniqueness and subtle complexity. She weaves these thoughts with stories from the Bible and her faith journey. As the spring bursts forth again this year, reading this book, perhaps in a slow and lingering way, we embrace an invitation to be still and know God. Donna Smither The Cloister Walk A book by Kathleen Norris; Published by Riverhead Books, 1996. About a year ago, I had the opportunity to spend several days and nights at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in Abiqui, New Mexico. Living the days as the monks do, we followed the Benedictine order of daily prayers, seven times during the day we went to chapel to greet the morning, remember God throughout the day and finally to welcome the night . Meeting in chapel and chanting the psalms and liturgy, some in Latin and some in English, I became absorbed in how worship and prayer took priority over work. It was partially because I had read The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris that I felt drawn to this experience. A lapsed Protestant, Kathleen Norris found herself visiting a Benedictine monastery many times being drawn to the liturgy, the hospitality and the Rule of St. Benedict. With amusement at herself and at God’s call to her, she becomes an oblate over time. The book is a recollection of her visits and stays at the monastery. With candor, she reflects on the problems in her own life and how reading the scripture and the attention to praying affects her and her approach to life’s issues. She describes the monks in realistic portrayals, noting how some can barely sit through the silences while others seem to bask in the quiet. She notes the community life that structures, confines and yet frees the men who have taken a vow to live out a life in prayer and study. She recalls Bible stories that speak to her in a new way, now shaping and informing her in unexpected ways. Reading The Cloister Walk, one feels as if she is reading a personal diary living out the experiences with Kathleen Norris. She raises the questions we would ponder. Why would anyone live a monastic life? What does it mean? What does God want of us? When God calls, how do I respond? Looking at the simple lifestyle and juxtaposing that against the complexities of life, Kathleen Norris leads us to examine how prayer and faith sustain us as we leave a place of worship to live out our faith in the world. She reminds us that we are all called to ministry wherever we are and whatever we do. Ordained or not, she reminds all women that the ordinary events of our days become gifts of ministry when lived out from a foundation of prayer, trust and gratitude. Donna Smither
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