The exile story for the Jewish people did not originate in Egypt. We celebrate Passover and study Torah only to discover that we continue to have micro exoduses. For even after the sea parts we are poured into the wilderness. How long does that last? When one accepts the continual journey of the filling and the emptying of what does not serve.

We are born into the garden. Some may call it paradise and some are eager to return. If we were never cast out we would still be living in God’s basement with a TV remote, made bed, laundry done, and dinner on the table. Without exile there is no maturation out of Neverland.

What if we don’t like the rules? We discover how to survive outside the garden. Our choices and discernment in the wilderness have life and death consequences. The underlying current that flows throughout is the realization that we are mortal and that we are going to die.

The good news is that we have the ability to use that understanding to really live. To experience life with new eyes. To choose life by surrounding ourselves with family, friends, loved ones, and community.

This is not an easy task. There are great challenges in the wilderness. It takes work to be in relationship especially with people who think differently than you do. It is a blessing to be able to maintain a healthy state in the midst of chaos.

Relationships can feel like exile. There have been times in my life where they wax and wane. I have found that the important ones are worth cultivating and sometimes weeding is necessary.

I truly believe that reconciliation is possible in exile when the two parties are willing to listen and to be respectful with one another. If this is too challenging it may be beneficial to establish healthy boundaries for a sense of shalom to exist. This changes the dynamic in the relationship and allows for a return to the garden with a new perspective.

I wonder if this is the true paradise.

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