[learn_press_profile]
Anthony Mello tells a story of a mystic who came back from a sojourn in the desert and people begged him to “tell us what God is like!” But the mystic was frustrated by the question knowing that there were no words that could explain the experience of his heart, no words define God. So he created a formula for them, one that he saw as completely inaccurate and inadequate—hoping that some of them might be tempted to experience it for themselves. Unfortunately, his hearers seized upon this as THE WAY of life! They began to call his teaching a sacred text and they imposed it on others as a rule of life. The mystic was sad realizing that they would have been better off if he had said nothing.
Sometimes we do this. We get stuck in a way of life and think we have a formula for how God works and who God is. We have our patterns our expectations, our life. When that is interrupted, we get frustrated and we don’t sense God’s presence in the same way. As our life changes and our formulas do not work the same way, our relationship with God changes, too.
Now with the temporary closure of our churches, the new restrictions of social distancing and the fact that many of us are at home alone means that our normal WAY has been shaken. Some of the things that we have counted on to keep us connected are not there in the same way. We need to seek new things, new ways. Because it has never been about the church, our patterns, or our community. It is about God and us.
If we make use of this time, there will be things that we look forward to returning to, but there will be some things that we realize are not as important as we made them to be. There will be new ways of doing things and new patterns of church, relationships, faith and life. There will be some practices that do not make sense to us anymore. Old Testament theologian Walter Brueggemann uses a framework for his study of the Psalms that make sense here as well. He writes about using a model of orientation, disorientation and new orientation.
He writes, “One move we make is out of a settled orientation into a season of disorientation. This move is experienced partly as changed circumstance, but it is much more a personal awareness and acknowledgement of the changed circumstance… It constitutes a dismantling of the old, known world and a relinquishment of safe, reliable confidence in God’s good creation. The movement of dismantling includes a rush of negatives, including rage resentment, guilt, shame isolation, despair, hatred and hostility.” This makes sense in this time.
But, the move toward a reorientation is important, too, and can help if we are evaluating a formula that has worked before. “The other move we make is a move from a context of disorientation to a new orientation, surprised by a new gift of God a new coherence made present to us just when we though all was lost… This move of departure to new life includes a rush of positive responses , including delight, amazement, wonder, awe gratitude and thanksgiving.”
During this “forced sabbatical” from our regular activities, take some time to reflect on how you are using this disorientation time. What are you doing in your life to connect to God and each other. In doing this you will begin to notice things that enrich your life and your walk with Christ. You will notice things that you can shed to simplify your life and faith. You will notice a new way of living that you will want to incorporate as we get back to “normal.” And it will be less formulaic and more connected to God and to each other. The Prayer of Examen is a great way to do that!
