Weekend Event

Yesterday I attended Politics and Spirituality Conference: Outer Witness, Inner Faith put on by Sojourners and the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC). Not being very familiar with either organization, I went in response to the intriguing suggestion that there were alternatives for believers in the public realm besides the religious right and the secular left.
I come away with mixed feelings, though extremely glad I attended. Much of it was various assertions that Sojourners understands God and the Bible better than the religious right does. Now this may be completely true—I certainly have my extensive critique of the Christian right. But it came across as just more of the same, except this time from the preachy, prophetic clear-sighted righteous on the left.
Refreshingly distinct, though, was Richard Rohr of the CAC. He gets a "Wow". He spoke about prayer and contemplation being paths to maturity that wherein we don't see things better or more spiritually than everyone else, but we end up reframing (one of my favorite practices) reality so that it no longer falls so neatly into the categories of "right" or "left". This not merely resonates with my own experience, but helps provide vocabulary for much of the disorientation that has characterized so much of my recent journey.
Changing the subject back to me (oh, I guess I have already), it is interesting to have one of the life/workplace skills I teach (reframing reality) described in terms of one of the spiritual disciplines (prayer/contemplation.) No conclusions to draw. Just interesting. I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while!