Just as the Bible takes us through many stages of consciousness and salvation history, it takes us individually a long time to move beyond our need to be dualistic, judgmental, accusatory, fearful, blaming, egocentric, and earning-oriented. Isn’t it a consolation to know that life is not a straight line? Many of us wish it were—and have been told that it should be, but I haven’t encountered a life yet that’s a straight line to God. It’s always getting the point and missing the point. It’s God entering our lives and then us fighting it, avoiding it, running from it.
There is the moment of divine communion or intimacy, and then the pullback that says, “That’s too good to be true. I must be making it up.” Fortunately, God works with all of it, and that mercy, or steadfast love.
—from the book Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality
by Richard Rohr, OFM
