Tall Monastic Guy

Misdirected desires... Messianic expectations...

My junior year of high school I made the all-conference golf team. For 2 days. My accomplishment lasted as long as I held on to the secret that while waiting together on the sixth tee box my whole foursome came together and agreed we’d each find an inconspicuous way to shave off two strokes from each of our final scores.

As 16 and 17 year olds competition along with building and maintaining one’s image outweighed our value for honesty. The Monday after the match with tail between my legs I walked into the coach’s office to unpack my lie. That conversation was followed by a shame filled walk to the principals office, which was then followed by a trip to the athletic director’s office. The ensuing shame as our entire team became disqualified from the conference as a result of my decision made for a permanent tattoo in my memory that allows me to recall those moments as if they happened yesterday.

more on stage 3 thinking...

The West---and America, in particular---are facinated with forms. We like impermanent things, maybe because they can't nail us down to anything solid or lasting, and we float in an ephemeral and transient world of argumentative ideas. It's not bearing a lot of fruit. It seems to me that it is creating people who are very unsure of themselves and who seem to be grasping in every direction for a momentary sense of identity, for a momentary sense of importance. 

    ~ Richard Rohr, A Lever and A Place to Stand: The Contemplative Stance, p.7

Exit Stage 3

Thomas Merton, one of the most well read and influential contemplatives of church history was apparently not all that appreciated among his peers in his own monastery. The reason? He observed the monks around him and claimed they were not really deep contemplatives but rather a community of introverts who found comfort in landing in a community of people just like them! 

I wonder how true this is of us today?

Competitive Soul Friends

My friend, Albus, and I were sharing a beer together when I brought up this subject of competition. Albus responded, “Yeah, to be honest with you, I feel like I’m competing with you right now.” I laughed thinking he was joking but after considering the truth of it I acknowledged, “Hmm, I guess I’m competing with you right now, too.” Actually, if I exposed the inventory of my head during the previous 5 minutes of thoughts I’d be a bit embarrassed to admit that I was thinking that my beer sitting over there on the bar, an extremely hoppy IPA, could out man Albus’s boring choice of Fat Tire.

We are a competitive bunch. Is there not the scent of rivalry at times even among the closest of companions? In his book, Compassion, Henri Nouwen writes, 

“When we take a critical look at ourselves, we have to recognize that competition, not compassion, is our main motivation in life.”

Faith & Justice Conference ~ Nov. 16th & 17th

The following is the result of my interviews with good friends Jeff Johnsen & Albus Brooks who will be two of the speakers at this year's Denver Faith & Justice Conference. It's been great to be a part of the development team for this way worthwhile November event. 

 

My mentor: his poverty/my wealth

In my office, at eye level and within short reach is a shelf that is home to those books that I can't live without. These are the ones I lean on most heavily when writing, preparing for a talk, or simply for my own personal development. The mentors of my life whom I call upon for counsel are similar to those books. I nurture those relationships and have each of them on speed dial desiring their access for whatever season or circumstance life presents. 

Although I'm not one to play favorites, there has emerged over the years a certain unlikely individual of whom I’ve found myself leaning on and returning for counsel time after time in just about any questionable moment. And just like the books I keep close this man's constant availability to me never lets me down. 

I need to be realistic and acknowledge that our relationship hasn’t always been and sometimes still isn't easy.