We can all use some help in seeing and growing and being transformed - having faith. Today we start with a quote by Eric Hoffer, the street philosopher:
"In times of great change [which is always], learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists." Faith itself, like the discernment of spirits, is actually a way to keep us learning, growing, and being transformed into God - not just a securing blanket of doctrinal statements and moral principles. The Enneagram (of spiritual types) is much more demanding and much more dangerous than believing things. It is more about "unbelieving" the disguise that we all are. Ernest Becker called it "our vital lie." Merton called it the false self. The Enneagram gets right to the point and calls it our sin.
Let me begin with a simple FYI. The Enneagram is an ancient system that is used to help people face themselves and the world around them with a bit of honesty and therefore it allows for great potential for life-giving growth. As for this quote for today, it is vital for all of us to realize that "unbelieving" things in our lives will be more difficult that repeating that which we want to believe. We are very good at putting up masks and showing the world just what we would like to show them. Unfortunately, we also fool ourselves...or lie to ourselves. In many ways, we each become painfully turned-in on ourselves and are not able to see either others or ourselves very clearly. When that is the case, unfortunately, we settle for what fit the vision we want to have. When this takes place, we fall for that "vital lie." This does not only happen to individuals. It also happens to groups and, I would say, countries. We live in one of the most powerful and benevolent countries in the world. And yet, we too often let ourselves we run through the day building up and living within a vital lie about ourselves. As this happens, we continue to be nothing more than a warring nation that is so consumed by our consumption, we are blind to the needs of the world and what could be a path of healing and wholeness for all. Only when countries and individual are able and willing to look at the core of our brokenness and how that brokenness takes on different shapes in different people, we will never become a part of the healing of our souls and our world.
Connection: When we can find those times in the day when we are exposes to ourselves...it might be good to simply face it...face it and weep...face it and begin to say "now what." It is then that we move forward trusting some power other than the ones that have had their way with us.
Come, Lord of Transformation, and be with us as we face the gifts and sin of our lives. It is not always easy to see ourselves and then accept all that we see with a vitality for life that is always open to learning new ways to be your children. Guide us and lead us, O God. Amen.
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