ACCEPTANCE, A PROCESS OF SUBTRACTION

Without a Shared and Big Story, all humans retreat into private individualism for a bit of sanity and safety. -- Fr Richard Rohr, "Daily Meditation," March 1, 2019

Ponder that...our private individualism in particular. That may be the source of a boatload of our woes, our private individualism. Especially as represented by our reasoning mind left to its own devices.

Left on its own, our private individualism may eventually manifest as fear. Our fear, wearing a crown and carrying a scepter...no God, no grace, no higher power, no cosmic dust rays, just our own thoughts. And our own fearful thoughts at that...which we cling to for our safety, our security, our sanity. And who's kidding whom...that's just crazy.

Of course, being alone, finding oneself alone not by choice but by circumstance...fire, flood, hurricane...does not private individualism make. The paradox being that unholy disasters can and often do bring holy healing...thoughts leading to safety are given to us that we never could have birthed all on our own, or Something comes to us in the form of a person, a log floating by, a dog coming to lead us, whatever. We don't think, we just accept and are brought to safety.

The fact is, with those disasters, to many safety comes in the form of death itself. That, too, is for acceptance. Whether by dog or by God, we are relieved of the burden of self, and acceptance is the answer.

Just as Meister Eckhart preached, God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction. Acceptance is a process of subtraction.

Thank you.