The blue sky clothed in white and grey clouds held my attention during the drive to the hospital!
At the end of the day, as I was driving back home this sight returned to me. The events of the day had a mixture of different experiences- peaceful and promising, comforting and calming, and disturbing and depressive!
As I recalled the experiences and the remnant of them in my thoughts, I felt like being an Alchemist looking at the glass jar of his prima materia, raw stuff, to see how the fire is turning them in the heat to an elixir! This entire process of turning the raw material to an elixir is a process, which receives more attention than the outcome. This process referred to as opus (Work) goes through blackening, whitening, reddening, yellowing and more till the elixir is left behind in the glass jar.
This description by Thomas More in his best selling book, A Life At Work introduces us to the process of distilling our experiences to find aqua permanens, the eternal water, which Jesus of Nazareth offered to quench one's thirst for ever (John 4:13,14)!
I realised while reflecting further, that I thirst for a settled state at work and in life, but what the sky revealed was a dynamic state of changing and renewing!
The inner landscape of our lives consists of different moods drawn from experiences of life. I find now as I look back over the nine years at work at this place, where I am currently at, work was the medium through which I received a new consciousness of joy in pain and hope amidst difficulties.
Each day was an Opus to find meaning and pursue a purpose larger than personal goals or gains!
Just as black is a colour and a mood, our work would bring dimensions beyond what we are looking for!
I find that I have been involved in search for a life work and not just a job! So the ups and downs are the process before I shall arrive to find the elixir of life!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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