I read from a variety of scripture, meditations, and articles each day. Today, I read Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation, Doubt: A Necessary Tool for Growth.
In today’s meditation, he talks about Brian McClaren’s book, Faith After Doubt. Well, bam! That hit me between the eyes.
I quit doubting God several years ago, but it has been about eighteen months since I returned to Catholicism. Since starting this blog last week, I have been bombarded with doubt. Not doubt about God, but doubt that I should speak about faith. Why should I think that I have anything of value to say? Shouldn’t these things be said by a lifelong Catholic?
McClaren’s book suggests that there are four stages of spiritual growth: Simplicity, Complexity, Perplexity, and Harmony.
Simplicity would be the stage that I left when I turned away from God after my friend’s suicide at fifteen. Largely because of that trauma, I think I jumped to Perplexity (doubt). And, then over the next several years waffled between Complexity and Perplexity.
I felt Harmony returning to the Faith. And, I think starting this blog has given rise to other doubts, more into Perplexity. But, I gather from Richard Rohr’s comments that that may be a good thing. It’s certainly a reminder to me that I am a work in progress, not yet finished.
Richard Rohr didn’t expand more on McClaren’s book. But, I have purchased it and downloaded it to read. Maybe it will help clarify this life/soul journey a bit more.
I’ll keep you posted.
Naked Soul Thoughts 