HELLO!

My colleagues asked me to record a 10-minute video for the United Churches for Dartmouth Facebook platform. Lucian set me up on our deck last night and I recorded it in one take. I thank Peter and Kaitlin for assisting me with moving the video from my phone to the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UnitedChurchesforDartmouth/permalink/2607275929715446/?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=PeyAuV55IPsgPo5c&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2Fv%2F198vheUNhe%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr#

There is one mistake in my message, I referred to a book by Richard Rohr as titled “Ground Hog Day” when in fact the book’s title is Falling Upward. I made the mistake because I used that book as a resource for a retreat I led which I called “Ground Hog Day”, the focus of which was breaking free of the feeling every day feels like the one before and the one likely to come next. I found the outline for that retreat (2014) the only day on one of my memory sticks. I may offer it again some day.

Richard Rohr is a Franciscan friar, ordained Catholic priest, and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work combines elements of Christian mysticism, psychology, and various wisdom traditions. In Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life, he proposes that life can be divided into two distinct halves, each with its own spiritual tasks and challenges. In the first half of life, we focus on building our identity, establishing our place in the world, and creating what he calls the “container” of our lives. This phase is characterized by career growth, expansion, and achievement. It’s about solidifying your sense of self and whom you are in the world.

The second half of life is where spiritual depth begins to develop. It’s about finding the meaningful human contents the container was meant to hold. A key point of the book is the value of letting go of achievement-driven pursuits and embracing humility. Rohr points out this second phase is not merely chronological. It’s often triggered by some sort of “falling” experience – a failure, a loss, or a tragedy that challenges our worldview. Rohr believes this “falling” is not just inevitable but it’s necessary for spiritual growth. It’s in facing our fallings and coming to grips with our imperfections that we become fully human. A big idea in Falling Upward is that our failures and struggles can become stepping stones to a deeper, more authentic self and spirituality. In the second half of life, he believes we can learn to let go of our carefully constructed identities and begin to discover our true authentic self. In this phase we can embark on a deepening of wisdom, greater awareness and compassion, and a more nuanced understanding of life by embracing vulnerability.

To escape our “Ground hog days” or the crisis of dealing with failure, Falling Upward is a helpful mindset to embrace “the second half” of life.

Peace, Kevin