THE
FOURTH TRANSFORMATION
Plato
said, "The unexamined life is not worth living". No where does
this idea more important than in the quest to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in
truth and in spirit. The life of the spirit, above all others, must be
examined if it is to be worth living.
It is
unfortunate that many people are reluctant, or even afraid, to examine their
faith and challenge what they believe. St. Paul says, "...whatever
is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything
worthy of praise, think about these things" (Phil 4:8). Despite this
instruction some people believe that if they reflect, if they question, if they
think about these things it is a sign that they are weak in their
beliefs. Jesus spoke a parable about just such people:
"Once
there was a man who went out to sow grain. As he scattered the seed in
the field, some of it fell along the path, where it was stepped on, and the
birds ate it up. Some of it fell on rocky ground, and when the plants
sprouted, they dried up because the soil had no moisture. some of the
seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up with the plants and choked them.
And some seeds fell in good soil; the plants grew and born grain, one
hundred grains each". (Luke 8:5-8).
The seeds
are sown, but the soil must be tilled, the seeds must be fertilized and
watered, the weeds must be cleared before they have a chance to grow up and
choke out the seedlings. In other words, the GARDEN MUST BE TENDED.
It is not enough to just plant the seeds and then leave them to fend for
themselves. They must be nurtured. In the intellectual life that
means that ideas, beliefs, values must be examined. Those that lead a
person forward, toward transformation, toward holiness of heart and life are to
be watered and fed; those that do not lead in that direction (weeds) must be
uprooted and removed. The distinction is only possible by careful
examination.
When
weeds are discovered in the garden of your mind they must be pulled up and
replaced with fresh new seedlings. These new seedlings are obtained
through the Discipline of Study.
"Study
is a specific kind of experience in which through careful attention to reality
the mind is enabled to move in a certain direction".[18] What is
attempted in the act of studying is the gaining of insight into the
reality of a given thing. By studying the Civil War, for example, I am
attempting to gain insight or knowledge about the people, values, events, and
outcomes of an historical event. The act of studying has the effect of
expanding, augmenting, or replacing a person's thoughts and understandings.
It is an act of renewal. Paul says, "be transformed by the constant
renewal of your mind". Study then is part of the process of
transformation. The goal of study is to find the truth, the
transformation which results is the fruit of the quest; "You shall know
the truth, and the truth shall set you free". The search for truth
(quest for knowledge) is actually freeing, not enslaving as some would believe.
The Book
of Proverbs begins:
"...for
attaining wisdom and discipline;
for
understanding words of insight;
for
acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing
what is right and just and fair;
for
giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge
and discretion to the young-
let the
wise listen and add to their learning,
and let
the discerning get guidance -
for
understanding...the fear of the Lord
is the
beginning of knowledge,
but fools
dispise wisdom and discipline.
Apply
your heart to instruction and your ears
to words
of knowledge".
Proverbs 1:1-7
As people
of faith, therefore, we are commanded to study, that we may grow in wisdom,
understanding, prudence, and discipline.
I have
referred to study as a discipline. It is a discipline because it requires
certain things of a person.
First,
study requires a commitment. An effective plan of study must be
undertaken in a different way than say, reading a novel, watching television,
or even reading the newspaper. The discipline of study requires an
intentionality and a pledge to oneself to dedicate time and energy necessary to
make your study fruitful.
Secondly,
effective study demands a plan. A plan doesn't necessarily mean a rigid,
programmed schedule to which a person slavishly commits. It does,
however, mean a sense of direction and the marshaling of the resources necessary
to pursue a course of study in a way that is effective. This may be a
study program, such as a bible study course; joining a study group or a book
discussion group; or the use of study guides which often accompany books and,
increasingly, video programs. There are two levels of plan being
commented on here. One is the study plan for an individual work, which is
within the overall plan. The overall plan maps out the specific areas of
study and identifies the sources within each of the areas. For example, a
specific area of study might be "Spirituality". Within that
area a person might choose to focus on Christian mystics, and one of the
sources of study within that focus area might be The Interior Castle by Teresa
of Avila.
While an
individual person's study plan may include anything which that person might
find useful and edifying, there are certain specific areas which should be
common - and proper - to every Christian's study plan. They are:
á Scripture
All study
plans, if they are to be effective tools for transformation, must
begin with and be rooted in Scripture. It is here that we are
grounded, learn the story which we proclaim, and encounter God.
"Likewise,
from your infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, the source of the
wisdom which through faith in Jesus Christ leads to salvation. All
Scripture is inspired of God and is useful for teaching - for reproof,
correction, and training in holiness so that the person of God may be fully
competent and equipped for every good work".
(2 Timothy 3:15-17).
á Self-Discovery
Self
awareness is the key to self revelation. A person who does not know
himself or herself is not able to share themselves with anyone else. A
person who is not able to share himself or herself is not able to
establish and maintain meaningful relationships or be an effective member of a
community. The study of oneself therefore is a critical element in
a person's process of transformation.
There is
another, perhaps even more important reason for pursuing a path of
self-discovery. The creation story in the Book of Genesis says:
"So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them".
Genesis 1:26.
Each of
us then bears the imprint of God. To discover oneself is to discover
something of God. As Jesus said, "To see me is to see the
Father", so it is with us. To see yourself is to see some facet of
the Creator.
The thing
that prevents many people from engaging in studying and learning about
themselves is fear. They fear that the may come to know themselves
better. The more I know about myself the more responsible I must be for
my actions. I can no longer say that I acted in ignorance; I am
accountable.
"There's truly a great resistance in all of us to
come to
grips with ourselves. If the locus of is
in us, then we are responsible for the use or
abuse of
our gifts and talents. While this gives
us power, it
also makes us more answerable for
our
successes and failures".
(Robert
J. Wicks, Self-Ministry Through
Self-Understanding, pg
25).
á History
It
has been said that, "a person who is ignorant of history is doomed to
repeat it" (George Santayana). While this saying has some truth, I
feel that a far more problematic outcome of an ignorance of history is having a
"lack of context". Without a knowledge of history, a person
cannot possibly know why things are the way they are and how they got that
way. Without that frame of eference, a person has no way of making any
meaningful sense out of reality nor make decisions about it.
An
example here might be helpful. After the liturgical reforms in the
Catholic Church mandated by the Second Vatican Council were implemented, many
life-long Catholics had a difficult time dealing with the Church. They
felt as though something had been changed which had been ordained by Christ and
had always been a certain way. Their reality had been altered and they
had no context for what was happening. In fact, the liturgical forms
which existed immediately prior to Vatican II had evolved over the course of
the history of the Church. Many things had been changed over time.
Very little of what existed at the time of the Council existed in the earliest
days of the Church, and with the possible exception of the Words of Institution
in the Eucharist, none of it had been directly given by Christ.
Furthermore, Latin was not always the official language of the
Church so the change to vernacular languages was hardly sacrilegious.
People who didn't understand this adjusted to the changes with great difficulty
if they adjusted at all. Many didn't adjust and left the Church as a
result.
á Spirituality
This may
be the most neglected area of study of all. And that is truly a pity
because the history of spirituality, not only in Christianity, but in Judaism
and other religious traditions as well, but especially Christianity is a vast
field from which a rich harvest can be reaped in the quest for transformation.
I believe
that one of the great strengths of Christianity is that it is a virtual
smorgasbord of spiritual traditions from which everyone, regardless of their
background or particular theology, can find something of value. From Paul
(Saul) of Tarsus to Isaac Hecker (founder of the Paulists), from Francis of
Assisi to Francis De Sales, from Thomas Aquinas to Thomas a'Kempis to Thomas
Merton, from John of the Cross to John Henry Newman, from Teresa of Avila
to Theresa of Lisieux to Mother Theresa, from Martin Luther to Thomas Cranmer
to John and Charles Wesley, from Paul Tillich to C.S. Lewis, and the great
American Jonathan Edwards. Many of these founded "schools of
spirituality". Ignatius of Loyola, Miester Eckhart, and Julian of
Norwich also number among them.
These are
not the only areas of study which make up the Tending of One's Garden, but they
are four that should be included in everyone's.
When
studying it is not enough just to take in information or make
observations. One must also REFLECT on the information and the
observations. The process of reflection is primarily a process of making
connections. In the process of reflection we attempt to internalize the
material of the study. When we succeed in that internalization we have
made a connection. At that moment that which we have studied becomes
"our own". It is now part of the base of information we have stored
in our internal "data banks" from which we draw to make sense of our
existence and give meaning to our life.
Reflection
is of two types: critical and spontaneous.
Critical
reflection is the process of interpreting new information in the context of
what we already know to be true. We establish criteria for passing
judgment on the validity of this new information from our past experience,
training, education, culture, values, and faith. We may also judge the
validity of new learning based upon its potential for bringing about good
versus bringing about evil.
Spontaneous
reflection is more on the order of inspiration. We encounter something
new and their is an immediate connection. These are sometimes referred to
as, "Ah ha!" moments. Suddenly something that we had been
pondering becomes perfectly clear. We need not subject the information to
our usual scrutiny in passing judgment on it because it is immediately and
serendipitously evident to us.