Piece by Piece

For the last few weeks I've been working on a puzzle in my in-between time on a table set up in the garage, my private Idaho. This is the second puzzle I put together from start to finish that contains more than 100 pieces. So what's the point of putting together a puzzle? To challenge and remind ourselves that no matter how long it takes us to finish it each piece has a specific place in the overall picture. We can not force a piece to fit in a place where it does not belong but we must remember that ALL the pieces do belong. We just have to wait and the spot will reveal itself, piece by piece.

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I'm not a puzzle fanatic (did I mention this is only my second puzzle I've ever put together?) but I love the theme of interconnectedness and unity of puzzles as a metaphor for my spirituality. The obvious place to begin a puzzle is to start with the borders, but a border would imply that our spirituality is limited in growth. Some people do put up internal borders which they do not dare cross (homosexuality, other faiths, etc), and this may be fine with them. As long as your comfortable with your spirituality and it truly makes you a better and happier person than go as you were. But for those who cannot stand living in a tiny goldfish bowl, we attempt to tear down these spiritual borders and come face to face with the vast expanse of infinite spiritual growth. I can barely grasp the image of the infinite let alone experience it as others have. What an experience that would be!

But we can not jump from A to C without going through B. A person's spirituality is all about growing, learning, and feeling our way bit by bit, piece by piece, through life's experiences. As we pick up new pieces we study it, learn from it, and implement it into our lives at the right time. I've mentioned before that I've recently began practicing meditating for a few minutes a day. I honestly thought I would feel something, anything, right away: calmer, quieter mind, less stressful, anything. I found out shortly thereafter that mediation is about being mindful of your present state of being, yes these benefits may come later but I must not lose heart just because I did not experience any immediate benefits. I am not ready for that piece yet so until then I will set it aside and continue practicing, continue growing.

My Religious Studies teacher, the inspiring Rabbi Rami, once said, "Too bad the puzzle doesn't come with a picture of the completed work on the box cover." So where do you begin with a puzzle that contains an infinite amount of pieces? At the time of that posting I used this analogy as a way to describe the interconnectedness of all religions but I did not perceive that spirituality can expand infinitely beyond religion. This is where we begin to understand that the deeper you go into your own puzzle the bigger it gets, "further up and further in." All pieces are important even though we may not yet know where they belong in the big picture. Returning to the question, you must first ask yourself what you want out of life. Meaning or purpose? Relationship with God? Peace and understanding with your fellow man? To Love and be loved? Whatever the answers may be, this is your spiritual journey which begins and ends (if it ends at the grave) with you.

When working on a puzzle it is far easier to put together the pieces that stand out and work your way towards the pieces that lack any distinctive traits. The same goes for your spirituality by cultivating that which enables you to grow spiritually: prayer, meditation, study, or simply being a part of a religious community. Once you grasp what you want from yourself and begin your own methods of cultivating your spirit, you can begin adding pieces to your God-sized puzzle. If your foundation, your core, is love for your fellow man you will find that all religions have teachings that express this in a vast diversity of ways. They are independent, though similar, voices that when put together sing the awe-inspiring beauty of our interconnectedness. At first, it is difficult putting together a puzzle, but as you continue to add pieces and step back you can begin to see the big picture spreading out in all directions. So, how far can your puzzle grow?