I’m reading through Richard Rohr’s book on contemplative prayer Everything Belongs. In chapter one Rohr lays out his thesis: “We are a circumference people, with little access to the center. We live on the boundaries of our own lives…confusing edges with essence, too quickly claiming the superficial as substance.” (13). Rohr believes that for too many of us, life is primarily defined by and described by actitivies and issues that are not at the real core of life.
There are, he writes, three things which sometimes awaken us to what is truly central in life: “The path of prayer and love and the path of suffering…” (14). He suggests that intense experiences of suffering, and deep experiences of love or prayer are able to get our attention and cause us to recognize that what we once thought was important (the circumference) pales in comparison to the truly important (the core). Minus these often too rare experiences, however, most of us continue to define ourselves by the circumference.
Rohr invites us to “journey to the core” (17) by embracing a lifestyle in which we “live and fully accept our reality.” (18). He then moves into a brief discussion of “practicing the presence of God.” Rohr thus seems to be saying that a primary way to learn what is truly important in life and to live at life’s core is by learning to fully accept the reality that God is present at all times and that the most important discipline in life is to become aware of that presence.
Rohr illustrates two ways in which we can identify whether or not we are living on the circumference (and thus not aware of and not engaging the presence of God): 1) If we are easily offended or consumed with hatred toward enemies we have likely formed our identity based on boundary issues which we feel must be defended (22); 2) If we seek our identity in a group, experience, possession or person (e.g., “She will make me happy”; “This group makes me feel like I belong”) we are emphasizing something which is not at the real core of life. (22)
Rohr calls those of us who cling too tightly to the circumference issues of life “ec-centric” (noncentered). We are difficult to live with because every one of our “ego-boundaries must be defended, negotiated, or worshiped”: our reputation, our needs, our nation, our security, our religion, even our ball team. (25) These boundary issues are the sum total of our identity. And we find ourselves constantly defending them.
Yet, Rohr counsels, by letting go of those circumference issues and being more centered upon the one truly important matter (God), we become better able to surrender things when needed and to take risks when necessary because we “have no private agendas, jobs, or securities to maintain.” (24)
Here’s what the chapter seems to boil down to:
- The things/matters in life we think are crucial and in which we find our identity (career, health, family, friends, etc.) are peripheral (circumference) in that they are temporary, can change, and can be taken away.
- A living relationship with God in which each moment of life is filled with a recognition of his presence (which is what contemplative prayer is about) is the only matter in life which is not temporary and cannot be taken away.
- It is for this reason that we ought to cling less tightly to the circumference and engage in a journey to the center–a life in which our identity is rooted solely in a relationship with God.
- Living from the core will enable us to remain centered, escape superficialism, and take the kind of risks that can bring genuine blessing to the world and to others.
