First, rewire the inner life
“We must move to the laboratory where radical change can occur—inside of our very mind, heart, and the cells of our bodies.”—Richard Rohr
The movie Love Story with Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal is one of the highest grossing movies of all times. The thing I remember most is the famous line, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”
So I won’t say I’m sorry that I’ve been away from the blog for so long, because I know you all love me and I trust that you know I love and adore each of you.
As I mentioned (gulp, three, four weeks ago), I went to Cuba (the above pix is my daughter and me in one of Cuba’s many 60-year-old American cars) and then I went to the Loretto convent in Kentucky and well, I just let time get away from me.
I’ve also been pondering what to say about the political situation in this country that, to my human eyeballs, looks less than amicable. I finally decided to share something Richard Rohr likes to say, “The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.”
By staying outside the system—as much as I can—I hope to, as Rohr says, “find a place of inner freedom, a place where public institutions and systematic paradigms don’t control my thinking or feeling or bottom-line belief systems.”
He suggests first coming to recognize the light within ourselves.
When I begin to recognize that something infinite, immortal, mysterious, loving and alive abides in me, I can bow toward that which is infinite, immortal, mysterious, loving and alive in everybody else. No exceptions.
As Rohr says, only then can I capably re-enter the conversation, the systems, the public institutions, once I become aware of that inner sense of divine union.
Until I can testify to the aliveness and sentience of all things (including myself and our public institutions), until I can see the divine in every single person I encounter or read about in the news, it might be best to keep my opinion to myself.
For now, I’m learning to, as Rohr recommends, “live a generous and just life from my Infinite Source.” Or as ACIM Lesson 178 says, “God is but love and therefore so am I.”
Glad to be back, my friends!
Pam Grout is the author of 19 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her latest book, Art & Soul,Reloaded: A Year-Long Apprenticeship to Summon the Muses and Ignite Your Daring, Audacious, Creative Side.
