Most of us need to have the status quo shaken now and then,
leaving us off balance and askew,
feeling alienated for a while from our usual unquestioned loyalties.
In this uncomfortable space,
we can finally recognize the much larger kingdom of God.
This pattern of temporary falling apart
precedes every transition to a new level of faith, hope, and love.
If one is not prepared to live in temporary chaos
and to hold the necessary anxiety that chaos entails,
one never moves into a Bigger World.
Notice that almost every theophany (revelation of God)
begins with the same warning:
"Do not be afraid."
Fear is an entirely predictable response to any God encounter,
because any authentic experience of the Absolute
relativizes everything else.
God is actually quite wild and dangerous,
but we domesticated divine experience so much
that a vast majority of people have left the search entirely,
finding most religious people to be fearful conformists
instead of adventurous seekers of
Love and Mystery.
~R. Rohr
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