Checks along the way

Early in his book Rohr emphasizes the need to check movement and direction in our lives, with two key insights: 

1) you can only see and understand the earlier stages of your life from the wider perspective of the later stages. Only when you can see past immaturities can you grow more mature!  Only by growing 'in wisdom, age and grace (Luke2:52) can you be patient and understanding of the previous stages. Mature people learn from their past. They do not create enemies and they are not either-or thinkers. As he puts it 'they bathe in the ocean of 'both-and".

2) from your own level of development you can only stretch yourself to comprehend people just a bit beyond yourself.. To sense the challenge of growing more mature by comparison.

The workbook journal asks us to reflect on our lives and ask whether we see deeper meaning in our youthful life experiences than when they were first happening. What changes do we feel called to make now that will free me up to living a larger life on behalf of the world.  I noted down details about my early stages of faith as a child, youth and student. Looking back I can see how fortunate I was in all the influences and God-incidences in my life. How much I owed God. But I also recognized how much my need for achievement and recognition was locked into even my faith journey.

Rohr's two insights remind me of a lunch when I was interim pastor of First Baptist Church, Wheaton, Illinois. An elderly couple had invited us to a meal in their home.  He and his wife were a sheer delight, showing great interest in us and our lives as newcomers to the church. Such care was shown. Only when he died a  very few years later, and at his thanksgiving service I saw the video of his own lifetime achievements, did it dawn on me.  What a gifted man with a mighty impressive portfolio!  As a missionary evangelist he had preached to thousands -a video showed him in action.  Impacting hundreds of lives he later become a denominational leader of note.  Yet, in his dealings with us (and everyone else), none of this was evident. He just shared love. His humility that had no need to parade his past set a high standard of spiritual development...to challenge my own development. I have never forgotten that lunch.