The wise recognize that without a certain degree of inner freedom, you cannot and will not love. Spirituality is about finding that freedom. -- Fr Richard Rohr, "Daily Meditation" of August 29, 2016
I'm finding that inner freedom can only be found by releasing others from our resentments. We can never walk free in our own head if we are holding another accountable for any reason...which reminds me of my old crutch, "Having someone to blame is perfect peace."
And doesn't that sound right? It is only when we try to use it that we find having someone to blame is endless resentment...as in, my blaming another gives that other someone to blame, namely me, starting the endless circle and cycle of resentment into anger into fights into battles into war.
Our spiritual life begins when we decide to follow directions...i.e., be the first to give over. At first, when the other smirks and walks away, we feel less than wonderful about the whole thing, and then...and then, we feel God's smile. We know an inner wonderment that we actually did it! We actually let the other off the hook, and our joy beats their smirk by endless miles.
Enlightenment is the realization that in going against our reasoning mind's objective, the other "won" rationally and we "won" spiritually. Ah, God's hand really is in it when both sides come out the winner!
There's the beginning of a certain degree of inner freedom because we have just proved that being the first to give over is love.
Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment