Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States - Center for Action and Contemplation's Father Richard Rohr's Meditation "Circuitous Path" for Monday, 25 August 2014

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States - Center for Action and Contemplation's Father Richard Rohr's Meditation "Circuitous Path" for Monday, 25 August 2014
Life itself—and Scripture too—is always three steps forward and two steps backward.

Labyrinth by Schick
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation 
"The Evolving Journey"
"Circuitous Path"
Monday, 25 August 2014
Nicola Slee suggests that faith “by its very nature must be changing and growing and in a state of perpetually shifting equilibrium rather than static and changeless” (Women’s Faith Development: Patterns and Processes). It is really quite strange that we turned faith around almost 180 degrees to refer to people who love the status quo and are always certain and absolutely know what is right and what is wrong.
Life itself—and Scripture too—is always three steps forward and two steps backward. It gets the point and then loses it or doubts it. Our job is to see where the three steps forward are heading (invariably toward mercy, forgiveness, inclusion, nonviolence, and trust) which then gives us the ability to both recognize and forgive the two steps backward (which are usually about vengeance, pettiness, law over grace, forms over substance, and requirements over relationship).
Isn’t it a consolation to know that life is not a straight line? Many of us wish and have been told that it should be, but I haven’t met a life yet that’s a clear and straight line to truth, to self, or to God. And I even met Mother Teresa! It’s always about getting the point and missing the point. It’s God entering our lives and then our fighting, avoiding, running from that very possibility. It is always too good to be true—for someone as little and seemingly unimportant as me! There is hopefully the moment of divine communion or intimacy, and then the pullback that invariably says, “I am probably making this up. This is mere wishful thinking.”
Fortunately, God works with all of it, both the forward and the backward, and that’s what bases the whole journey precisely in divine mercy or what the Bible calls “steadfast love” (hesed).
Adapted from Things Hidden: Scripture As Spirituality, pages 12-13
Gateway to Silence: Show me your ways; teach me your paths.
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Center for Action and Contemplation
1705 Five Points Rd SW
Albuquerque, NM 87105 United States (physical) 
PO Box 12464
Albuquerque, NM 87195-2464 United States (mailing) 
(505) 242-9588
cac.org
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