Abstract
Why do we really read so-called spiritual books? To be changed, or for the warm feeling we get from being proved right, the thrill as we underline another sentence and think of the people we should copy and send to? We are a society in denial, Rohr tells us, and we agree with him; but when a tiny voice accuses us of being part of the problem, for surely our accent betrays us, we shake our heads.
I have long been a fan of Father Rohr and look forward to the daily e-missives from his Center for Action and Contemplation. I have read several of his books, but had always avoided this one, on the grounds that I was no addict (!). How wonderful to have finally come to it, and to have been forced to read it carefully. It uses the Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve Step Programme as a jumping off point for a deep exploration of scripture and the unconscious. It does not take long for us to realise that we all have our personal addictions, as well as our societal ones.
‘You need more and more of anything that does not work. If something really is working for you, then less and less will satisfy you. On my good days, a grasshopper can convert me.’ Gently, gently the Twelve Steps, or Journey of Life, lead us back to the cross, to the place of unknowing, where we reach out to embrace the trauma of being alive, of sometimes not understanding why we do what we do, or even the purpose of existence. As Rohr boldly admits in chapter one, ‘I must be up front with you. I do not really understand why God created the world this way.’ The wisdom he imparts is very human and strangely liberating—no need to reach up, for he comes down to us, and leads us to a lowly, peaceful place; less of the head, more of the heart.
The book is as rich as plum pudding, covering an enormous amount of territory in a short space of time, and together with the optional workbook would make an excellent centrepiece for a church home group season or a guided retreat. For me personally I can say that, among other things, it has revitalised my moribund prayer life, and for that alone I will be eternally grateful.