There are moments when the layers of the universe are so thin and so many that even when we believe that all is connected to one root, one source, we lose the ability to see this clearly and thus fall into moments when our disbelief takes hold of us, we become plagued by doubt and depression.
“Where is God?” we wonder as the noise of modernity and the darkness of despair overtake us.
In the stillness of the night and the vacancy of the depths within we begin to yearn for that awareness we have all had at least once in our lives.
“Where am I going?” “What am I here for?” We ask over and over again.
Then we scream: “Ayeh! Where are you?!”
Rebbe Nachman teaches that even when we feel we are alone and God is far away from us, it is our yearning to be close to him that matters the most. This yearning, this desire to be restored to our most authentic selves is the purpose of being pushed away by the Almighty. When we cultivate this desire then we can actually carve out a path within ourselves back to the Creator. When we start to notice the very Creator we are longing for is actually not far away at all then we start our journey back through the layers of reality that have acted so much to cover up our awareness.
When we yearn these layers fall away as if they were nothing at all, revealing the Creator where he always has been all along – right beside us.
(Based on Likutey Moharan Tinyana 12)
