journey something

As the two sat side by side on stage at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul MN,  it was obvious there was a little more than just good chemistry happening. Renowned poet Robert Bly was playful, inquisitive, and witty; often offering poetry from various authors, reading each poem a couple times. Franciscan Priest Richard Rohr was thoughtful, tender, and intent about communicating clearly the intricacies of the soul. Together they were a magical duo. They packed the auditorium, often taking input and questions from the crowd. Anyhow, if you are interested, here are some highlights from the notes I took:

Rohr: Wherever you find the place where you realize there is more than your ego- that is the soul’s initiation. Our soul’s journey will not begin until our first world has fallen apart.

The Soul knows not by knowing, but by presence, naked presence. Pure presence is wisdom.

Quoting Emily Dickenson: “Tell the truth, but tell it slants.” You understand truth on its edges, or not at all.

Responding to a question where someone wondered how a person prevents from getting stuck on the “decent”, Rohr pointed out that any authentic decent innately includes the essential elements needed for authentic ascent. They are interconnected- during a real decent, the spirit is already conspiring for a real ascent. We find these principles in the resurrection story. 

Everything that happened to Jesus must happen to the soul. 

Rohr spent some time talking about “liminal space” as this place in between rooms, where all transformation happens. Speaking of spiritual direction: What you do as a spiritual director is teach people to stay in the new room. Faith is not about believing in propositional truths, it is about learning to stay on the threshold and being patient with mystery. 

At one point Bly asked Rohr to talk about the differences between soul and spirit. This made for a lively discussion with lots of participation from the audience. Rohr spoke of the soul as the decent, and the spirit as the ascent. Many times the soul is forged out of suffering and sorrow. It is very individual to us, our specific blueprint or DNA. The spirit connects us to the big picture- God, humanity, and earth. Here we find universal truth, clarity, and expression. Here are some metaphors that were give by both the crowd and the speakers: 

Soul is inhale, spirit is exhale.

Soul is receptor, spirit is animator. 

Soul is crucifixion, spirit is resurrection. 

Sorry for the randomness of the notes, there was a lot to take in during the two-hour session. All in all, it was an amazing time to learn more about the journey of the soul from two articulate and incredibly spiritually attuned people.

Also, I personally haven’t read much of Bly in the past and I would love some recommendations to get me started!