Mystery Cave

Inside Mystery Cave, inside my life

Philippine Lake inside Mystery Cave, Hinagdanan Cave

A lifelong friend and I are at the mouth of the cave, about to embark on a guided tour with a naturalist along with people we never met before, we’re entering Mystery Cave.

Before this moment several years ago, we had studied the history and geological displays in the nearby welcome center. I was in awe when I discovered the cave expanded for miles, stretching underneath farm fields through the limestone landscape. Without the signs, maps and indicators elsewhere, I never would have known about the expansiveness hidden away beneath the surface of Earth. It is the same with humans: Much of what is hidden below the surface is often unknown, unmarked.

I am not surprised to feel the chill of dampness upon my skin once we cross the threshold, as we make our way forward into the dark. What I am surprised by, however, is how the space feels like a cathedral. A sanctuary. The giant stalagmites and stalactites seem like the pillars ascending and descending I’d find in church. I want to fall to my knees, to reverence what feels holy, real. I am amused that the cave is called Mystery. Was it named for the mystery genre on shelves, the dark and sinister haunting or horror? Or was it named to honor a name I know for God: Holy Mystery? It could be both.

As we go in deeper, I long for every human voice nearby to hush, to savor the secrets of the silence and the occasional drip, drip of water meeting water. Each ripple is like a reminder of unity. Communion. “Weddings have happened here,” our guide says.

Mystery Cave, I am also free from climbing social ladders and falling into the traps of achievement. There’s no need to prove my worth in the dark, in the holy mystery. Instead, I listen to the summons of God heard deep within, like a whisper echoing off the walls.

Journeying in the cave of God’s love, I have the freedom to decide how to proceed. I can turn back to the entrance, to the brightness of the light where all is familiar and comfortable. I can stay close to my guide and cling to the light. I can enter more deeply into the quiet and dark mystery…