I’m sitting in a restaurant in the heart of Seattle, Washington. Yes, I am spending a brief three days in this city of Frasier and it’s been quite the journey. Visiting Seattle has been on my bucket list for a long time and since time is moving rather quickly, I’m starting to check off items on this list of destiny.
Seattle is an interesting city to say the least. Visiting the first Starbucks at an area called the Pike Place Market was a caffeine-laden pilgrimage of delight The experience at this iconic cafe was simply amazing: the baristas/staff were very friendly and welcoming and the coffee is truly “nectar of the gods.” But the highlight of this brief journey to the Northwest was not anything above ground but a vast underground network of tunnels.
It was just a one hour tour, not even a three hour tour reminiscent of Gilligan. This tour was led by a wonderful woman who is an actor in small productions. There isn’t much of a theatre presence here, which surprised me. What was so amazing about this brief sojourn was its hiddenness. Walking through these empty tunnels, once teeming with life and even commerce, I could still feel the life above me: the streets with cars and buses, the people working, eating, touring… The past and present melded into each other.
The tour guide named “Imogen,” a wonderful name that I thought was “Imogene,” as in Imogene Coca, the great comedian in the 1950’s, spoke of letting hidden memories surface in our consciousness. So much pain and suffering went into making this a great city, no different from any other city. She vividly described the city’s great fire, the harsh conditions of life, how the city was gradually sinking, the treacherous tides of water, the displacement of the indigenous people, the oh so uncertain climate. Learning about the pain and suffering that went into making Seattle what it is today was enlightening to say the least.
Becoming aware of what lies hidden in our own personal storehouse of memories can be freeing, but can also be frightening, especially those memories we bury in pain. A city’s hidden memories of struggle and suffering can mirror the shifting foundation of our own lives. Yes, things very painful or uncomfortable happen to us all and our human tendency is to bury them in the deep tunnels of the subconscious.
Christ the King rules on the throne of the Cross, which is the KEY to allowing these memories to surface out of dark tunnels of fear that imprison our humanity with their horrible tentacles. Christ wants us to lively freely in His love that transforms painful, hidden memories into avenues that we traverse into the Kingdom…. Paradise.
The very first declared Saint was hanging right next to Jesus who simply asked Jesus to remember Him when He enters His Kingdom. Jesus, not the Church, made him a Saint who we traditionally have named “Dismas,” the good thief. The sin of Dismas remains “hidden” known only by Christ. What is NOT hidden, however, is his destiny to be welcomed into Paradise after he breaths his last. The “key” into this land of God is the mercy of Jesus, His arms spread out on the Cross, embracing each and everyone of us.
As I walked up and out from these dark, memory filled tunnels, I re-entered everyday life in the city of Seattle. The sun was shining brightly, bathing me in hope. Tomorrow I’m taking the train back to the city I call home, to the people I love, to begin the journey I call Advent Hope. I pray for you who are reading this: that the beauty of HOPE fill you, for Christ is coming to meet you, free you, heal you and lead you out of hidden, inner tunnels into the Light that will lead you to the gateway into Paradise. Dismas is waiting…