By Kathy Berken
On Deck
Watching Christopher Nolan’s epic film, “The Odyssey” took me back to my high school Latin class where we read parts of this and its prequel, “The Iliad.” Nolan’s masterpiece excelled at recreating this ancient story of a man who wrestled with massive, overwhelming forces, all the while longing to find a way home despite impossible odds.
Home is at the heart of the human soul, and Odysseus’ 20-year grueling journey back to Ithica after the fall of Troy provides plenty of examples of virtue amidst violent storms, deceptive detours, and spiritual tests. Despite losing all of his men, Odysseus overcame every one of his hardships, not because he was lucky or clever, but because he was never alone. The goddess Athena walked beside him as his spiritual guide who also fought for him when he was weak.
We, too, long for home as we battle forces of nature both human and environmental. Our deep desire to return home to God after our bodily death, and also to come home to our true selves as children of God can be a life-long struggle. We live in a world that often feels just as treacherous as the high seas Odysseus and his men encountered. But our faith assures us that we never walk alone. Just as Odysseus was accompanied by Athena, we are accompanied by a loving God who is always present even when we waiver in that belief.
Odysseus’ seven years on the island of Ogygia with Calypso may be similar to what Saint John of the Cross’ called “The Dark Night of the Soul.” Although Odysseus was stranded on a beautiful island, lacking no physical comfort, nevertheless, he sat on the rocky shore every day, weeping, feeling completely stuck and forgotten, gazing at the open sea, longing for home. We may feel the same way, facing a prolonged illness, a personal tragedy, or a period of spiritual dryness where God feels miles away.
Yet, at Odysseus’ lowest point, divine wisdom was moving quietly on his behalf to secure his release. Think about the verse in Hebrews 13:5: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Feeling stranded does not mean being abandoned. We pray: Lord, I don’t see any way forward, but I believe you are present with me always, even when I don’t sense you.
When Odysseus was trapped in a dark cave by the monstrous, one-eyed Cyclops, he had to rely on a gift of wisdom to find a way out. What are the monstrous giants we face? Overwhelming financial debt, a devastating diagnosis, or a broken relationship that feels like a cave with no exit? We pray for the wisdom to find a way out, a way home, always believing God is at our side.
When the angry god Poseidon shattered Odysseus’ flimsy raft in a terrifying storm, a divine messenger gave him a veil that kept him afloat until he reached land. Our lives are often hit by sudden, unexpected storms that threaten to shipwreck us. In Matthew 8:26, Jesus calmed the storm and asked his disciples: “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”
Perhaps they had momentarily forgotten that Jesus had been with them all along.
We are on a daily journey home. Who walks with us, holds our hand, offers us respite, or directs us back to our faith? When we search our souls, we realize that our own odyssey is sometimes fraught with deadly giants, menacing whirlpools, fierce storms, immense temptations, unholy distractions, raging seas, and other threatening obstacles.
In the midst of the most unimaginable circumstances, like Odysseus, we keep our hearts and mind on coming home to and with God, holding ever to the precious gift of our faith.
(Kathy Berken is a spiritual director and retreat leader in St. Paul, Minnesota. She lived and worked at L’Arche in Clinton — The Arch from 1999-2009.)
