Go With The Flow


My kids seem to have a mental block or something that prevents them from taking their dirty dishes and placing them in the dishwasher.  

I've often wondered what the barrier is that prevents them from taking that exhausting next step of shifting their weight just a bit to their left, opening the dishwasher and placing the dirty dish they are holding inside of it.  

I got to thinking this morning about why this upsets me so much.  In the end, it's not that big of a deal, but there's a lesson in this that I feel like I'm beginning to learn about myself.  

What's true is that there is a decided lack of awareness in the act of not putting the dishes in the dishwasher.  It's not an act of malice or a sign and symbol of low character.  It's just a lack of awareness of the flow of things, and how our acts and omissions can interrupt that flow, and create disruptions.  

But here's the kicker, and I think this is why it hits me so hard:  We all do these kinds of things... all of the time.  And if our disruptions were merely as simple as dishes in the sink, we would all live more peaceably, but they're not.  

We cause major disruptions through the ways we act with indifference, hatred or bigotry toward our sisters and brothers.  When we lack awareness or empathy, when we are distracted and self-centered, we disrupt the endless life-giving flow of the Spirit of God, which is constantly moving in, through and around us.  

Richard Rohr speaks into this when he writes: 
"The divine flow either flows both in and out, or it is not following at all.  The 'trap doors' at either end must be kept open in order to both receive and let go, which is the work of all true spirituality." 
At 1371 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on land in all the earth.  It's incapable of supporting life beyond a microscopic level because of the heavy salt and mineral content that has been created essentially be stagnation. 

You see, the Dead Sea has no outlet.  The Jordan River flows into it, but nothing flows out.  

If you and I want to embrace the divine flow of God's Spirit and live in generative and life-giving ways for the sake of the world... then we have to keep ourselves open to both receiving and giving that flow.  

Or we'll soon discover that we, too, have become lifeless.  

We need to learn to "go with the flow," and let God's incredible, grace-filled power course through our lives and into the lives of others.  

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. 


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