Order, Disorder, Reorder

Richard Rohr recently published a book entitled "The Wisdom Pattern, Order, Disorder, Reorder." Rohr points out that our culture tends to impose on us positive values on order, progress, and success. An underlying message with these concepts is that the lack of order, progress, and success often leaves us with despair. Rohr goes on to point out that knowing the pattern of order, disorder, and reorder allows us to trust each step, including disorder. As we can know that reorder will come, we learn to trust that each step reveals meaning and character.

The Pandemic may seem like the most disordered time we have known and we may label the disorder as negative. This is different from the disorder of positive events such as graduating from school, marriage, having children and so on. The difference is the labeling of good and bad. Lots of questions, lots of disappointments, lots of changes. It seems that we are going backward from order to disorder. We are seeing the cup half full or half empty. When we see the cup half empty we are more likely to feel a jarring of our faith. The truth is that this is just part of the journey. We, as followers of Jesus, are carrying the cross.

I listened to a video of author Elizabeth Gilbert who said that our spiritual disciplines are made for times such as these. She likened the pandemic to a marathon. Bill Plotkin of adventure journeys calls it a “survival dance.” We can remind ourselves that the survival dance can turn to a “sacred dance.” That is the inspiration of Jesus in our lives, growing toward love, union, salvation, wisdom, and enlightenment. We can do this through awareness or mindfulness - pondering the change and looking at the spiritual meaning for our lives.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
  And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. 

(Micah 6:8)