Rejuvenation Part 4
November 4, 2024
Rejuvenation Part 4
I do not know anyone who has not had tough times. And I have yet to experience anyone in the spiritual life who’s free from bewilderment, doubts, and tests of faith. It’s easy to ride high when things are going well. That’s when some people say, “God is so good.” We are on a mountaintop; we see everything clearly now and can’t even imagine being in a mess ever again. Yet when things deteriorate or adversity takes center stage, we are not so sure that things will ever return to the mountaintop we once enjoyed—doubts surface.
Many are unaware that doubts and inner torture, as was experienced by Mother Teresa and Saint John of the Cross, are part of the authentic spiritual pilgrimage for many seekers.
I had the good fortune of having Henri Nouwen as my teacher and mentor in theology school. Though he was a person of great faith and was a wounded healer, Henri had many doubts chronicled in his writings. Though he was a beacon of faith for so many, he, too, went through deep depressions and crises of faith.
Doubts can either break us or increase our faith. For some of us, our spiritual journey brings periods of doubt about ourselves, others, and the Divine. These periods serve as spiritual shock points that grow our understanding of reality. When resolved, they propel us into new states of consciousness and greater capacities. If our shock points are not resolved, our growth is arrested.
Resolving our shock points requires courage because no two shock points are alike. For example, when we reach a spiritual shock point, we cannot say, “This is a piece of cake; I have had other shock points and know how to get through them.” They wouldn’t be a shock point if they were immediately resolvable. A spiritual shock point may put into question everything we know and believe. Often it means struggle. But when we emerge from the battle, we are more aware of the truth about ourselves, others, and the Divine. These truths grow our consciousness.
I experienced a shock point in theology school. My courses challenged the very root of everything I believed in. My adolescent “house of cards” tumbled down and I had no trusted frame of reference. But the agony forced me to build a world view more in line with reality than my college mentality afforded me. If not for the major collapse of my beliefs, I would not have moved forward.
Spiritual practice: When ready, list your top five life crises. After listing each crisis, list what you attribute to pulling you through. Chronicle how you were different after each crisis was resolved.
Self-inquiry: Why would you be ashamed of having a spiritual shock point?
Dear God,
I need you every hour. Amen
