Only the Beginning
In growing psychologically, one moves toward increasing autonomy and independence. In growing spiritually, one increasingly realizes how utterly dependent one is, on God and on the grace of God that comes through other people. —Gerald May, Will and Spirit
Over thirty years ago, Father Richard gave a talk at the 20th anniversary of Sojourners magazine and community. He affirms the benefits of psychological growth but urges us not to become stuck in individualistic worship of the self:
When subjectivity became the reference point for human behavior, the psychological age began; by the late 1960s it became the language of the mainstream. It was a revolution just as profound and maybe more far-reaching than political revolutions or religious reformations. All of us are deeply affected by it; it is the air we breathe.
The Jungian psychologist James Hillman summarizes it well:
It’s the prevailing opinion we encounter anywhere in the therapy world, the self-help world, the afternoon talk-show world. All make clear the importance of childhood, of coming out from disempowerment (“be in control”), recovering from past abuses, working through to self-acceptance (“I can be comfortable with that”), and the confessional witness of “my own journey.” [1]
These things are good to a certain point, and have helped countless people, but are only the beginning of the journey. The subjective self in our day is sometimes treated as objective truth. It becomes the unassailable “ground of being” which often cannot be questioned or left unaffirmed.
It seems that it has become an accepted truth that the best thing one can do is “work on oneself.” Often it’s frowned upon in some circles to repress any feelings, fears, or sexual fantasies, while it may be totally acceptable to repress the objective issues of famine, habitat destruction, access to medical care, and weapons sales.
When psyche meets psyche there is usually insight, communion, expansion, or at least distraction. It feels alive and will always lead us to another level of revelation or confrontation. But sometimes there is no goal beyond the process itself or that elusive thing called healing. This sounds a bit hard perhaps, but the enduring philosophical traditions have never confused existence with essence as we do today. We attach enormous significance to passing feelings, hurts, and experiences, things which the great world religions have called illusion, temptation, trial, grace, opportunity, passion, or “shadow and disguise.” They are means, not ends; windows and doorways perhaps, but surely not the temple itself.
At best, the search for understanding or sobriety or healing is seen as the early “purgative way,” but not yet the classic “illuminative” or “unitive” paths. In these, we less and less need explanations, success, or control. Healthy spirituality points us through ever-changing psyche to never-changing Spirit. The Mystery has shown itself. It’s okay. It’s enough. No one, including the self, needs be blamed, shamed, or worshiped. If that’s not the freedom of the children of God, what would it possibly be?
A Maturing Spirituality
Richard Rohr offers his own basic overview of the stages of spiritual development, which also account for our developmentally appropriate psychological needs:
- My body and self-image are who I am.
We focus on our own security, safety, and defense needs.
- My external behavior is who I am.
We need to look good from the outside and to hide any “contrary evidence” from others, and eventually from ourselves. The ego’s “shadow” begins to emerge at this time.
- My thoughts and feelings are who I am.
We begin to take pride in our “better” thoughts and feelings and learn to control them, so much so that we do not even see their self-serving nature. For nearly all of us, a major defeat, shock, or humiliation must be suffered and passed through to go beyond this stage.
- My deeper intuitions and felt knowledge in my body are who I am.
This is such a breakthrough and so helpful that many of us are content to stay here, but to remain at this level may lead to inner work or body work as a substitute for any real encounter with, or sacrifice for, the “other.”
- My shadow self is who I am.
This is the first “dark night of the senses”—when our weakness overwhelms us, and we finally face ourselves in our unvarnished and uncivilized state. Without guidance, grace, and prayer, most of us go running back to previous identities.
- I am empty and powerless.
Some call this sitting in “God’s Waiting Room,” but it is more often known as “the dark night of the soul.” At this point, almost any attempt to save ourselves by any superior behavior, morality, or prayer technique will fail us. All we can do is to ask, wait, and trust. God is about to become real. The false or separate self is dying in a major way.
- I am much more than who I thought I was.
We experience the permanent waning of the false self and the ascent of the True Self as the center of our being. It feels like an absence or void, even if a wonderful void. John of the Cross calls this “luminous darkness.” We grow not by knowing or understanding, but only by loving and trusting.
- “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30).
Here, there is only God. There is nothing we need to protect, promote, or prove to anyone, especially ourselves. Our false self no longer guides the ship. We have learned to let Grace and Mystery guide us—still without full (if any) comprehension.
- I am who I am.
I’m “just me,” warts and all. We are now fully detached from our own self-image and living in God’s image of us—which includes and loves both the good and the bad. We experience true serenity and freedom. This is the peace the world cannot give (see John 14:27) and full resting in God.
| Why We Reject God’s Kingdom |
 Jesus’ parables comparing the kingdom of heaven to a man who finds a treasure in a field and to a merchant who discovers a pearl of great value are meant to be understood through an economic framework. Any rational person would gladly give up something of little value to acquire something of great value. Likewise, the value of God’s kingdom is so extraordinarily high that anything sacrificed for it ought to be released without hesitation. Jesus is illustrating that his kingdom is an unbelievable bargain.If that is the case, why do so many people still struggle to accept Jesus’ invitation? There are two possibilities. First, people are not always rational. In fact, there is strong evidence that people will act irrationally and against their own self-interests even when they know they are doing so. (For more I recommend Michael Lewis’ book, The Undoing Project, about two psychologists who won the Nobel Prize for proving the human mind is hardwired to make wrong decisions.) Our bent toward self-destructive and irrational choices confirms the Christian view that humans are universally corrupted by sin. There is another possibility also rooted in the power of sin. Even if we are functioning rationally, we may not recognize the value of what is being offered to us because of our poor vision or general ignorance. For example, when my son was little he was addicted to sugar. But if said to him, “Would you like some creme brûlée?” he would have immediately refused. Those unfamiliar words might conjure images in his mind of vegetables or some other unappetizing adult cuisine. His response would be very different, however, if I said, “Would you like some vanilla pudding, covered in sugar, and cooked with a blowtorch?”Our blindness or ignorance prevents us from recognizing the true nature and value of what is being offered. As a result, we cling more tightly to what we have and dismiss the glories available to us in Christ. C.S. Lewis wrote about it this way:“Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. ”DAILY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 13:44-46 ISAIAH 5:20-21 ISAIAH 55:1-1-2 WEEKLY PRAYERFrom Blaise Pascal (1623 – 1662) O Lord, let me not henceforth desire health or life, except to spend them for you, with you, and in you. You alone know what is good for me; do, therefore, what seems best to you. Give to me, or take from me; conform my will to yours; and grant that, with humble and perfect submission, and in holy confidence, I may receive the orders of your eternal Providence; and may equally adore all that comes to me from you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
