I had a dream . . . a few nights ago – it startled me awake! In the dream I am wandering out of a lush tropical jungle into an open clearing. The bright sun is shining down on me and my nose is filled with the heavy scent of fresh asphalt. Just up over the rise I’m climbing, I can see a runway with a Boeing 737 parked off to the left. There is a jet way parked next to it and local villagers are climbing the steps up into the open doorway. They are singing joyfully and making real harmony together. They’re even moving in a kind of swaying dance as they make their way to their seats, inside. I look off to the left and there is a home-made trailer piled high with luggage but it’s curiously attached to the back of the jet with a trailer hitch that someone has rigged …
As I watch, now a little closer, the last person climbs the stairs and the view through the portholes says that each person is now seated – every window is filled with a face – happy, grateful and united. But, what follows really surprised me!
From seemingly nowhere, a dozen strong men in colorful uniforms walk up to the plane’s two wings and toss thick ropes over and around, tying the ropes off before they pass them over their shoulders. Looking left and right to choreograph their efforts, they begin a kind of “Heave Ho!” back and forth – straining forward and leaning into the first inch of progress. The shiny new jet starts to roll – slowly at first but then it picks up speed as the two wing team breaks into a slow trot down the runway. Right there, as I watch, these strong men sing their way off into the distance, dragging this powerful jet behind them. Within a short time, they reach the other end – close to the outline of the village off in the distance. On that end, someone else rolls a jet way up to the side of the jet’s fuselage and the passengers make their way out of the plane and off the runway and into the village – their destination. Once the last person disembarks and the last piece of luggage unloaded from the trailer, the jet is turned around and parked – left to wait for the passengers’ ceremonial return later that evening.
It was in that moment that I woke up – immediately making links between that beautiful jet, the passengers, the transformative gifts we receive in empowered faith communities, etc. The dream startled me and started in me a process of wondering – “How do we compassionately disturb the coherence that insists that we keep our own version of ‘the jet’ safely on the ground?”
You can see where this is headed – you may have far better ways of understanding and acting on this crazy dream - I’ll stop here. My hope is that you’ll accept my invitation to engage this question, with compassion.
Thanks for engaging this,
Tom
646-203-6266
