Rise Up!

If stress is mitigated by finding a life of meaning, where do we discover it? Look inside.

Years ago I had some exposure to a wonderful tool called the Enneagram. Something inside me sang when I studied it. I thought it was comprehensive, complicated and intriguing. I wanted to learn more. I had this hunch that this might make a difference for people in recovery. My friend Jean and I even took a summer road trip to study with some folks who are well-respected in the field. We pursued more education, made some great friends and kept talking and learning and studying.

I got some emails about this suggesting that this was a tool of the devil and I was a bad pastor for talking about it. Some people complained about me talking about it too much - guilty as charged. They were right. The negative feedback stirred my insecurity about what I was learning and why I thought it was valuable. It reminded me of those conversations decades ago when some people through the 12-Steps were terrible and others through the 12-Steps were great but I was not equipped to understand them. This feedback did not bother me twenty years ago, but because I was already flirting with a nervous breakdown, the feedback on the Enneagram stung.

I began asking myself a question every evening as a spiritual discipline: So what? So what if I talk about it more than I should? So what if someone confuses a drawing of the Enneagram with the symbol of a Pentagram? So what?

This was a good growth question for me and it has changed my life.

The answer is this: I am a human being. I have the right to be a goofball. I have the right to get super enthusiastic about a subject that interests me. It is ok if someone does not agree or misunderstands. If they are curious, I have an opportunity to explain, if they are not, I really do not need the hassle of trying to explain to a person whose objective is to criticize. And the biggest "so what" of all...So what if no one else sees its potential, I see it and it is calling to me for further exploration.

Here's the most beautiful thing I discovered. While I lay on the floor in a puddle of defeat, I asked myself - what are you willing to sit up for? (Walking was too hard.) I am willing to sit up to hug my grandchildren and love my children and husband. What are you still interested in? I am still interested in loving others. How will you find the strength to do that if you can barely sit up? I do not know.

But one thing I did know: I could no longer get my cues from outside myself. I needed to dig in and dig deep. Who do I want to be when I grow up? This question was one I was willing, even eager, to explore. One of the topics that I was willing to explore was the Enneagram.

If you are smacked down, what is something you are willing to rise up for? Stay tuned.

Searching for Deeper Meaning

In 17th century England, in what “seemed like almost apocalyptic conditions”, Paulette shares what happened when people began to search for deeper meaning in their lives. She continues. “When George Fox and others began speaking of the need to turn inward for meaning and direction, thousands were drawn to their message. People discovered a depth of hidden truth about themselves and their world when they delved deep into silent contemplation, and the experience was amplified when they did this communally. Paulette wrote a song inspired by a quote from Fox’s writing:

"All meet together everywhere, and in your meetings wait upon the Lord. And take heed of forming words, but mind the Power, and know that which is eternal, which will keep you all in unity, walking in the Spirit, and will let you see the Lord near you and among you."

During a time of mistrust, brutal punishments handed out to anyone deemed a political threat, a housing crisis, and pandemic that killed 100,000 people in one city - George Fox and others said, “...see the Lord near you and among you.” Maybe even in your inbox.

If you are struggling to trust, find sustainable solutions, figure out how to love your neighbor (who thinks WAY differently than you about almost everything), and live a reasonably peaceful life, well, welcome to my world. Our world. Our current reality. Most of us are in this same place - even if our beliefs are all over the map. We have tons of stuff in common.

How can we “see the Lord near and among us”?

George Fox and friends suggested that we stop talking and start focusing on that which is eternal, the things that we can find unity around, and walk in the Spirit. These practices allow us to see what is real. The Lord is near us and among us. Amazing.