Learning to hold The Mystery lightly

Recently, a friend was sharing how Richard Rohr was a spiritual friend or anamchara to Mark Townshend. Here were some of my meditations on some of the changes in consciousness I have been experiencing.

It's a small world isn't it? lol. I've also enjoyed some of Rohr's books and lecture's. Its cool to know he was Townshend's mentor as well. One of the things I like about Rohr, Keating, and McColman, etc., is their ability to hold the tensions of working from within the historic and traditional streams of Christianity and yet moving into deeper and spiritually progressive waters.

However, I think you will find me much further to the Right than Townshend. I grew up in the fundamentalist/evangelical/pentecostal camp. I am sure that I still carry much of that old baggage but I do find myself on a journey of transformation and change in consciousness and heart in how I am learning to hold things in tension and balance. I am a work in progress at best. lol.

I believe its important when one has chosen a particular spiritual or religious path to be faithful to that path and mine the depths of the esoteric dimensions beneath the merely exoteric dimensions; while simultaneously, (at least after one has come to a certain place of discipleship and spiritual growth in their respective path), to be open to learning, discussing, sharing and integrating from other wisdom traditions, knowing the points in common (such as the Snowmass Points of Agreement), while also understanding the differences and remaining faithful to one's own spiritual path.

Part of the problem within Christianity, at least for me personally, are the two polarities of the exoteric traditional/ conservative/ institutional side of Christianity which holds (at least one version) of historic Christianity with rigidity and arrogance. While, many of the more progressive and liberal tendencies have gone to the other extreme and compromised the integrity of the historic path. For myself, I feel inspired to learn how to hold to the traditional Christian spiritual path; while at the same time, going beneath the merely exoteric dimension to the esoteric aspect of this tradition, largely found in the writing of mystical Mothers & Fathers of the Church; and being open to entering into inter-religious/inter-spiritual dialogue, learning, sharing and integrating from these other wisdom traditions.

As part of this journey, I have also intentionally entered into friendships with people who may hold diametrically opposite views from my own. It is partly through these relationships that I am experiencing the tensions, the stretching and expanding of my spiritual life. At times this is difficult and painful. One of the things I liked about the Snowmass conferences, as recorded in the "Common Heart" book, was that they didn't pretend or ignore their differences. Sometimes, they had heated arguments about these differences; but they continued to meet with each other, to discuss and share times of sitting in silent meditation together, practicing meditation according to their own traditions; and many of them became great life-long friends, even though they might be diametrically opposed to each other's views. Sometimes, through these tensions, we can learn, grow, and experience transformation and changes in consciousness. I know from my own experience, that although I hold to and practice my faith and spiritual work predominantly through traditional Christian systems of belief, ritual, values, and spirituality, that I know longer hold to these things with quite the same consciounsess, attitude or heart.

One person recently shared with me regarding such things,

"it betokens a movement of the church beyond camps and factions, as something in your being hungers for the good that is accentuated (but not possessed) in any of these camps: from the evangelicals, emotional intimacy with the holy; from the classic (though often rigid) Anglican liturgical tradition: dignity and reverence before the Mystery. How to put the two together? And I agree with you that the fundamentalists of the left are as narrow as the fundamentalists of the right: full of judgment and self-righteousness...

...The old divisions and camps are breaking up, and a new, Imaginal mind is emerging, which is able to hold Mystery lightly (rather than rigidly), because the Mystery is founded in intimate presence, held from a different kind of consciousness...I think it's a sign that what you're seeking has already found you and begun to bushwhack the path, from the inside out."

Well, these were just some random thoughts running amok in my mind after reading your comments about Rohr's role of spiritual friendship in the life of Townshend. How wonderful and exciting. I am but a work in progress and have not yet come into the full flower or balance in these things; but it is my hope, as my journey continues, to learn to "hold Mystery lightly (rather than rigidly), because the Mystery is founded in intimate presence, held from a different kind of consciousness."

Blessings for now,

Aidan+