I attended a wonderful presentation by Richard Rohr, the Franciscan priest who runs the Center for Action and Contemplation in New Mexico. I’ve liked him for several years now. His writing on male and female spirituality is some of the best stuff I’ve read about negotiating the transitions of life.

His recent presentation was part of his newest book called, Things Hidden. The search for things that are hidden yet right under our nose. The self is always defended – our ego is protected by the elaborate protection system we have put in place. If we don’t engage in practices that deliberately open the self to new things  - then we continue to only let in those things we already agree with. We have a feverish need to defend our opinions – some of us spending enormous energy defending some things we don’t actually believe.

What Rohr is saying is right on. The only way metanoia happens, literally turning, or seeing again, is through having our inner beliefs disturbed. Until we have a way of letting things IN, then we continue to only have an external belief instead of an inner authority.

I think of how many times I approach the scripture text unconsciously expecting it to simply validate what I know. BEWARE! When the text confirms my suspicions, then that’s my cue to spend some more time in it.

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