Blessing the space between us

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

I watched a scene on the news recently that made me wince; the reporter was standing there with no one within hundreds of yards, yet he had a face mask on. Even the cameraman was a dozen yards away with a long microphone “boom” bridging the space between them. I could barely understand his words. It felt iconic of the moment, as he stood there isolated, and of the space opening up between us all.

Although the space is for our safety, it can be tempting to fear it, even to curse it. But I was reminded of the writer John O’Donohue’s wonderful encouragement from years ago ‘to bless this space between us.’ What a phrase.

Contemporary life has become so full of stuff, so fast of pace, so crowded in, hasn’t it? ‘Blessing the space’ reminds me of the Japanese concept of ‘ma’, which celebrates the space within a piece of art, design or architecture, as well as the pauses we insert into life through stopping for a cup of coffee or tea, for example.

If we cram a painting or a room or a schedule with too much stuff, it loses definition. Things gain their beauty and poise from the space itself. If we’re brave enough to stop talking sometimes, our words find precision, even love. We gain a poise personally, when we maintain space well, in life. It can become an act of sifting, sorting and defining. When there is too much stuff, nothing stands out.

How, then, do we bless this space between us? We can befriend it, for a start, instead of battling it. It’s a chance to try different ways of being, which the space invites us into. We can invite the space to bring clarity to what matters most in our life and to help us see those things with fresh perspective; to honor and to celebrate them for the blessing they truly are.

And perhaps we can remember, above all, that the space is not an absence (even if it feels like it sometimes), but it makes room for the presence of God to be felt in our life, our work, our relationships. At this time, of all times, to notice this presence, like air between us, surrounding us, reminds how we are held in love together, within this one sacred space, this opening. So as we navigate this strange season, let’s bless the space between us.