The Mysterious Algorithm And Unexpected Contemplative Lessons
Or, how rock-tumbling videos are whispering to my soul.
A few months ago, the mysterious social media algorithm started dropping rock-tumbling videos into my feed. It’s strangely captivating. Unremarkable rocks loaded into a canister with grit, detergent, water, or variations of other ingredients are set to tumble. A few weeks later, from a nasty sludge, rocks with their edges smoothed, and beautiful internal patterns emerge.
The rock-tumbling process seems an exercise in expecting the unexpected.
The hobby rock tumbler knows the recipe (a canister full of rocks, two scoops of grit, one scoop of this, and another handful of that). She also knows the approximate time needed for certain kinds of rocks to reach their peak potential. It’s a process with three or four tumbles, varying ingredients, and time. (Or so I gather…this is all from watching a handful of 60-second videos…I’m no expert in this process)
Rock tumbling, while it seems to follow a process, is unexpected. I’ve seen videos where the rocks don’t have the smoothness or expected finish. Sometimes, the chemical balance is off, and instead of a smooth, glossy finish, the stones are etched or dull in patches. Sometimes, they need more time and tumbling. I’ve seen other rocks become stuck in a crack and fused.
Opening a rock tumbler is filled with expectation, unexpected delight, and sometimes disappointment.
In a season of my own unexpectedness, I wonder if those rock-tumbling videos were less of a happy accident from the mysterious algorithm and more of a gift, a metaphor I didn’t know I would need.
Rocks are selected for tumbling because the rock-tumbler believes when the edges are smoothed, and the surface is polished, rainbows, brilliant colored veining, unexpected patterns, and depth will be revealed.
Rocks are placed into the tumbler for a set time. Rocks are hard. It’s not an overnight process. It takes weeks of tumbling, washing, and adding different elements before the final smooth, polished stones are unveiled.
The tumbling, unexpected bashes, blows, and reversals create smooth rocks with the most depth revealed.
I am finding the metaphor of the rock tumbler helpful and instructive as I navigate the unexpected, tumbling path of treating breast cancer.
I’m learning to expect the unexpected. The rock didn’t ask to be placed in a tumbler, and set to spinning, but the result will be transformation. The unexpected blows smooth the hard edges and reveal the hidden depth.
Unexpected is morally neutral. Labeling unexpected news, good or bad, doesn’t change the news. Information is always powerful unto itself. The unexpected blows, the grit, and the polishing elements create transformation. Those elements aren’t good or bad; they are each a part of the process.
It takes time and following the process for the edges to be smoothed and the surface to become transparent enough to reveal hidden beauty.
Rocks that have been in the tumbler are permanently transformed. The bashes, additives, and time shift the identity of the stones. They might become dirty if thrown back to the ground, but the sharp edges and internal beauty revealed are permanent transformations, forever altering the rock.
Smaller and Deeper is my name and ultimate understanding of the contemplative life. Rock-tumbling videos served up by mysterious algorithms are just that, and yet they have been more: an invitation to meaningful reflection, lessons, and depth. A way to understand the un-understandable.
Here is just one example of a rock-tumbling video:
Smaller and Deeper practices are small actions or ideas and can lead to deeper insights, knowledge, and growth. Smaller and Deeper is an invitation to remember that the small things done with intention often create transformation and growth.
Is a word, person, or set of videos unexpectedly showing up in your life?
Is a challenge, obstacle, difficulty, or distraction a theme in your life?
How can the two relate together and offer you something new?
Consider writing two lists. Write one list about the recurring theme and one about the current challenge.
Use words from both lists to write a poem or create a simple drawing or painting. Take a walk with these two lists and mind and see how the unexpected theme might hold lessons and insights for dealing with your challenge.
Lectio Divina is an invitation to the practice of lectio divina. This a reminder to read for transformation rather than information. Smaller and deeper is hiding in plain sight daily when we slow down and notice what our hearts are whispering. Read the following passage slowly, more than one time, and notice if a word or phrase catches your attention. Invite those words into your week and see what deeper invitation they might hold.
Take one minute to listen to this blessing written and read by John O’Donohue. It’s often seen as a blessing for a new year. Let the word gently land in your soul. If a word or phrase seems to sparkle, pause and maybe even jot it down. Invite the words to accompany you into the new year.
I hope people who read your weekly Smaller and Deeper pass it on to friends and their social media - I think many people would benefit from it (this is just a hint of encouragement to your other readers....). I do this often.
Love, love polished rocks and as a metaphor. Such a rich metaphor for life. Thank you.