"... But often, in the world's most crowded streets,
But often, in the din of strife,
There rises an unspeakable desire
After the knowledge of our buried life;
A thirst to spend our fire and restless force
In tracking out our true, original course;
A longing to inquire
Into the mystery of this heart which beats
So wild, so deep in us--to know
Whence our lives come and where they go...."
But often, in the din of strife,
There rises an unspeakable desire
After the knowledge of our buried life;
A thirst to spend our fire and restless force
In tracking out our true, original course;
A longing to inquire
Into the mystery of this heart which beats
So wild, so deep in us--to know
Whence our lives come and where they go...."
I got a call a week ago from a young man named Johnnie Penn. A newspaper editor had referred him to me, thinking I might be able to help him in his quest. I invited Johnnie to pay me a visit at my church office. Johnnie
is one of four Canadian college students who dropped out of school to
do the one hundred things they want to do before they die, and travel
around North America helping others to do the same. The funky old transit bus in which they travel broke down in Sausalito . While it was being repaired, they continued their quest to find people with special needs in fulfilling the goals of
their lives.
They call their project “The Buried Life”. It’s a reference to a poem by Matthew Arnold, from 1852, by the same name.
Arnold ’s poem expresses the yearning for the authentic lives that we
set aside when we take on our conventional roles in society. Each of us needs to express the “fire and restless force” that are uniquely our own, but that all too often are “buried”.
I took Johnnie on a walk through downtown Sausalito , introducing him and his quest to people along the way. I invited him and his friends to show up in worship on Sunday and tell their story. After my
initial introductions, Johnnie and his friends continued looking people with special needs in Sausalito and found one: a middle-aged man with terminal illness, living alone in an empty apartment on a low income.
On Sunday, the four young men showed up in worship. To my surprise, they came with a film crew! These clever young men have parlayed their mission into a media event. A documentary is being made about their trip. They’ve been on MTV, and have corporate sponsors. (See more at theburiedlife.com .) This answered my question about their source of funds to keep their bus on the road.
I
invited them to stand at the altar and describe their effort to dig up
“The Buried Life” and live it to the full, helping others to do the
same along the way. Our church people enthusiastically offered their help in providing furniture for the dying man’s apartment. Our
congregation was moved by Johnnie, Ben, Dave, and Duncan ’s story. The
four young men were surrounded by admirers at coffee hour downstairs
after worship.
Then they gathered in my office to ask me what I want to do before I die - as the cameras were running. I told them that as far as achievements or experiences in this life are concerned, I feel like I’ve already made it. From now on, any new worldly accomplishments will be gravy for me. But spiritually, I’m not yet where I want to be. There’s still part of my soul that’s “buried” by the rush of activity in my everyday life. I want to reach a state of spiritual equanimity in which I am full of compassion for others and fully aware of the divine. When my time comes, I want to die with a twinkle in my eye and a heart full of love for my family and all those around me. That may seem like a simple thing to want to achieve before I die. But I’m going to need to make some real sacrifice of spiritual, physical, and mental effort to get there.
What do you want to do before you die? What are you doing to make it happen? What part of your life is “buried”, and needs to come to
light and action? Thank you, Johnnie, Ben, Dave, and Duncan, for asking such a good question – and having the nerve to live it!