Two Halves of Life (Richard Rohr) - Day 23

The Two Haves of Life

Day 23… from setback to comeback with Richard Rohr

This is Day 23 of our 40-Day Journey from setback to comeback. Today I’m looking at another quote from Richard Rohr.

Rohr has been a wise companion for me. I'm using a few days of this journey to introduce you to his writings.

“Your thinking becomes less black and white. Less in or out. Less inclined to feel the need to put a value judgment on everything but rather to just experience life as it is. ”

The Two Halves of Life

Richard Rohr often speaks of the two halves of life. The first half is spent creating a box: rules to live by, unchangeable truths to help you feel in control, and markers that show success. He says these are all a natural part of development, a phase we all grow through: like training wheels on a bicycle.

But the second half of life is meant to let go of these constructs. By letting go of the box you are free to experience life in its fullness. You are no longer threatened by what's outside of the box. Your thinking becomes less black and white. Less in or out. Less inclined to feel the need to put a value judgment on everything but rather to just experience life as it is.

Moving Into The Second Half of Life

But to transition to this second half of life requires an exile. A time of stripping. It often feels unsuccessful and contrary to everything you've worked so hard to achieve in the first half of life. Here is another post where he refers to the second half of life.

The soul has many secrets. They are only revealed to those who want them, and are never completely forced upon us. One of the best-kept secrets, and yet one hidden in plain sight, is that the way up is the way down. Or, if you prefer, the way down is the way up.

In Scripture, we see that the wrestling and wounding of Jacob are necessary for Jacob to become Israel (Genesis 32:26-32), and the death and resurrection of Jesus are necessary to create Christianity. The loss and renewal pattern is so constant and ubiquitous that it should hardly be called a secret at all.

Yet it is still a secret, probably because we do not want to see it. We do not want to embark on a further journey (the second half of life) if it feels like going down, especially after having put so much sound and fury into going up (the first half of life). This is surely the first and primary reason why many people never get to the fullness of their own lives. Adapted from Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life,

Reframe What Life MUST Be

Exile can produce so much fear. But the fear comes  from what you think life MUST BE. If you can step back and reframe what must be, the fear can possibly subside.

If living in fear is not of God and you are fearful, then maybe you have the wrong perspective. Maybe, with the right perspective, you can see exile as an opportunity to enter into a new fullness.

How could (or has) exile enable/d you to experience life more fully?

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