The Beauty of the No-Brainer

“The only way the truth gets into any of our lives is by God’s trickery, when our guard is down.”

Richard Rohr, Jesus’ Alternative Plan 

You may be backing off from that statement like it’s a case of the Corona virus, but think about it, will you, before you run for the heresy vaccine?

There is evidence in every life that God is a bit of a prankster.

•  While we’re over here studying the Word, memorizing verses, checking off the Commandments we follow and those we don’t, God is over there bringing you that third child you weren’t planning on, the one who turns your world upside down in a wonderful way. 
• Or God’s opening a door for you to earn an MFA in broadcasting while you’re stuck in the passage about spreading the Good News and interpreting that as a call to go to Ethiopia. 
• Or even as you’re fretting about how much you’re like “doubting” Thomas, a child in your Sunday school class paraphrases Jesus’ response as: “Look! See my boo-boos!”

I’m thinking that not every truth we come to know arises from studying and listening to sermons and systematizing our theology. And what I’m saying – and will continue to say all week – is — and again, I’ll quote Richard Rohr:

“The God of Jesus is clearly much more than stern moralist or a divine police officer. He is the burglar who comes in the night and steals our souls in spite of ourselves!”

This week we’re going to talk about how to stop thinking so much and trying to sort things out in our minds. Those aren’t “wrong”. We need to do that sometimes. But when it comes to a deep knowing, the goal is to allow it to take shape in the soul, which then tells the mind what to think. 

How do we do that?

That’s different for each of us. We’ll explore five approaches that can get our preset thoughts and our stubborn egos out of the way:

• Find what nourishes our souls, discover our verdancy.
• Practice awe and wonder
• Allow for knowing that can’t be put into words
• Throw away the box
• Discover what a true knowing feels like for you as an individual

What happens when we do that? 

The results of opening up to truth rather than fighting against the false will, again differ from person to person. I can only speak from my own experience when I say:

• I have stopped trying to label my truths and simply enjoy my relationship with God.
• I no longer bristle when someone else’s beliefs clash with mine.
• I feel as if I’m living what I know without fear that I’m somehow getting it wrong.
• Every day I feel more and more as if I’ve been set free. The truth, as Jesus said, will do that for you. 

This week’s question:

On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being “You would have to wrench the Bible from my clenched hands,” how willing are you to set doctrine aside – not throw it away, just give it a break – and allow God to whisper things you need to know? 

Me? I’m a 5 – because I see the truth in so many things and not just between the pages.