Yes! Faith is like homeostasis, always pulling towards center, towards home, towards truth. And it is never static. Dogma feels static, like a statue, trying to control, not fall off the tightrope of how to be. Faith feels loving. Rather than trying to control and not stray, faith encourages straying, messiness, mistakes, and finding one’s way. Moment to moment. Faith, after all, involves the unknown, the mystery. How can anyone have certainty about that?
One additional voice to add here….Richard Rohr. Thank you for your beautiful questioning and faith that burns bright enough to see the next step.
Love your imagery, Sue, as always. It reminds me a bit of the neuropsychologist Dan Siegel’s river metaphor—both banks of the river are rigid in their own way, either rigid in control or rigid in chaos. But the center of the river where it flows freely is where we reach that “homeostasis”.
I have had so many people mention Richard Rohr to me and haven’t yet picked up one of his books but am eager to! I appreciate the recommendation. ♥️
Very much feel this, Krista. I think I can say that I am more sure of less things than I have ever been. I told the woman I’ve recently begun meeting with for some spiritual direction that I feel a little like a kid who’s not quite ready to give up the argument and admit they don’t know what they’re talking about. But I’m tired, and what I loved most about Sarah Clarkson’s essay was that sense that God is there to hold us — his tired children who have been working so hard for so long — and we don’t have to know all the things.
Oh, Annelise, yes I feel this in my BONES. I'm so happy you read Clarkson's essay, as well...it was truly beautiful wasn't it? Brought tears to my eyes. I think, in a lot of ways, what you're describing is perhaps the natural trajectory of a life of faith? Or maybe we'll come back into different ways of knowing that look quite different than what we "knew" before. Have you read The Critical Journey? It is spiritual direction-esque and was helpful for me this January.
This: “What is faith for if it only lives in our heads in tidy theological categories and biblical knowledge, and not in our hearts, our bodies, and the fullness of our selves?”
I’m Catholic. I attended an evangelical Bible study in college, and one night, the leader asked us to write down how sure we were that we’d go to heaven if we died that night. Like a good little Catholic, I quickly wrote down 0% and turned it in. They were so concerned for me. I was so confused. How could anyone be so sure and so offended by my very comfortable uncertainty? I hope for my salvation, of course, but my faith plays out daily based on every choice I make. How could I possibly know?
Thanks for sharing this, Angela! I think because a lot of Catholics live daily with this kind of "unknowing", and because they emphasize the importance of mystery, they can be so much more tender towards the questioners and the doubters, in so many ways.
I grew up Catholic, and it was SHOCKING to me when I entered evangelical spaces to hear people talk about how certain they were that they would be going to heaven. (Still is strange to me, honestly.) I grew up hearing, "Maybe, possibly, if you're good enough, you'll get to heaven someday." I'm not saying that was the correct approach either, but to go from that to "here's exactly how you get into heaven" was an absolute mindf*ck.
For sure—that's a huge swing. The question of justification between Catholic and Protestant denominations has become so caracitured on either "side" that I think it's hard to hear each other, although I have been super encouraged by the ecumenical spaces I've inhabited recently.
And even beyond the question of justification, I'm thinking of how we experience God, you know? More liturgical, sacramental spaces are going to have a higher emphasis on an embodied faith...on encountering Christ's presence in some mysterious way. Most evangelical spaces wouldn't dare—lol. "Idolatry! No adding to the Good News!" etc etc. But is finding Christ in the Bible and crossing all your theological T's and dotting all your dogmatic I's sufficient for a thriving faith?
It wasn't for me. And it only took me...31 years to figure that out. :)
It seems to me that struggling with God/faith is a central component of faith. Funny how Israel means he who contended/wrestled with God - Genesis 32.
Another point that I have been thinking a lot about - C.S. Lewis on scripture (p. 24): "Christianity is true...not just because the Bible says so but because God chooses to reveal himself through many different ways, yet supremely through Christ." It seems an insult to God to limit your faith to only the Bible or doctrine and not allow your experience with Him to be a central part of forming your faith!
Interested if you have any thoughts on those two points! Great post :)
Totally. I was just reading about that Gen. 32 passage in Erin Moon's new book "I've Got Questions" and she expanded on that quite a bit.
I love the perspective you quoted from C.S. Lewis. I agree with it! I guess that's not super surprising since he was part of the Church of England (Anglican).
I think when I look back, it makes complete sense to me why I stopped being able to "find God" in the more rigid, one-way-to-read-the-Bible faith spaces I was a part of. There's a lot of unlearning that has to happen...I have to learn to trust my own instincts and feelings again, and give credence to things that were looked down on (spiritual formation, contemplative practices, spiritual direction, etc.)
Thank you for this, Krista. You always give me something new to think about.
Ha—for better or for worse, Margaret! :) Thanks for reading.
Yes! Faith is like homeostasis, always pulling towards center, towards home, towards truth. And it is never static. Dogma feels static, like a statue, trying to control, not fall off the tightrope of how to be. Faith feels loving. Rather than trying to control and not stray, faith encourages straying, messiness, mistakes, and finding one’s way. Moment to moment. Faith, after all, involves the unknown, the mystery. How can anyone have certainty about that?
One additional voice to add here….Richard Rohr. Thank you for your beautiful questioning and faith that burns bright enough to see the next step.
Love your imagery, Sue, as always. It reminds me a bit of the neuropsychologist Dan Siegel’s river metaphor—both banks of the river are rigid in their own way, either rigid in control or rigid in chaos. But the center of the river where it flows freely is where we reach that “homeostasis”.
I have had so many people mention Richard Rohr to me and haven’t yet picked up one of his books but am eager to! I appreciate the recommendation. ♥️
Very much feel this, Krista. I think I can say that I am more sure of less things than I have ever been. I told the woman I’ve recently begun meeting with for some spiritual direction that I feel a little like a kid who’s not quite ready to give up the argument and admit they don’t know what they’re talking about. But I’m tired, and what I loved most about Sarah Clarkson’s essay was that sense that God is there to hold us — his tired children who have been working so hard for so long — and we don’t have to know all the things.
Oh, Annelise, yes I feel this in my BONES. I'm so happy you read Clarkson's essay, as well...it was truly beautiful wasn't it? Brought tears to my eyes. I think, in a lot of ways, what you're describing is perhaps the natural trajectory of a life of faith? Or maybe we'll come back into different ways of knowing that look quite different than what we "knew" before. Have you read The Critical Journey? It is spiritual direction-esque and was helpful for me this January.
This: “What is faith for if it only lives in our heads in tidy theological categories and biblical knowledge, and not in our hearts, our bodies, and the fullness of our selves?”
I’m Catholic. I attended an evangelical Bible study in college, and one night, the leader asked us to write down how sure we were that we’d go to heaven if we died that night. Like a good little Catholic, I quickly wrote down 0% and turned it in. They were so concerned for me. I was so confused. How could anyone be so sure and so offended by my very comfortable uncertainty? I hope for my salvation, of course, but my faith plays out daily based on every choice I make. How could I possibly know?
Loved this piece. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this, Angela! I think because a lot of Catholics live daily with this kind of "unknowing", and because they emphasize the importance of mystery, they can be so much more tender towards the questioners and the doubters, in so many ways.
I grew up Catholic, and it was SHOCKING to me when I entered evangelical spaces to hear people talk about how certain they were that they would be going to heaven. (Still is strange to me, honestly.) I grew up hearing, "Maybe, possibly, if you're good enough, you'll get to heaven someday." I'm not saying that was the correct approach either, but to go from that to "here's exactly how you get into heaven" was an absolute mindf*ck.
For sure—that's a huge swing. The question of justification between Catholic and Protestant denominations has become so caracitured on either "side" that I think it's hard to hear each other, although I have been super encouraged by the ecumenical spaces I've inhabited recently.
And even beyond the question of justification, I'm thinking of how we experience God, you know? More liturgical, sacramental spaces are going to have a higher emphasis on an embodied faith...on encountering Christ's presence in some mysterious way. Most evangelical spaces wouldn't dare—lol. "Idolatry! No adding to the Good News!" etc etc. But is finding Christ in the Bible and crossing all your theological T's and dotting all your dogmatic I's sufficient for a thriving faith?
It wasn't for me. And it only took me...31 years to figure that out. :)
It seems to me that struggling with God/faith is a central component of faith. Funny how Israel means he who contended/wrestled with God - Genesis 32.
Another point that I have been thinking a lot about - C.S. Lewis on scripture (p. 24): "Christianity is true...not just because the Bible says so but because God chooses to reveal himself through many different ways, yet supremely through Christ." It seems an insult to God to limit your faith to only the Bible or doctrine and not allow your experience with Him to be a central part of forming your faith!
Interested if you have any thoughts on those two points! Great post :)
Totally. I was just reading about that Gen. 32 passage in Erin Moon's new book "I've Got Questions" and she expanded on that quite a bit.
I love the perspective you quoted from C.S. Lewis. I agree with it! I guess that's not super surprising since he was part of the Church of England (Anglican).
I think when I look back, it makes complete sense to me why I stopped being able to "find God" in the more rigid, one-way-to-read-the-Bible faith spaces I was a part of. There's a lot of unlearning that has to happen...I have to learn to trust my own instincts and feelings again, and give credence to things that were looked down on (spiritual formation, contemplative practices, spiritual direction, etc.)
Thanks for reading and sharing! :)