Skip to content

Unlearning Christianity

“My starting point is that we’re already there. We cannot attain the presence of God because we’re already in the presence of God. What’s absent is awareness… We have nothing to attain or even learn. We do, however, need to unlearn some things.” –Richard Rohr

For years I tried to learn.

“Study to show thyself approved unto God,” the Scripture said, and I desperately wanted the approval of the Divine. So I studied, and memorized, and learned all I could about how to be a Christian, always just one step away from knowing enough, always just one answer short of earning approval.

But somewhere between discipleship classes and Bible quizzing competitions and Christian worldview courses, the bottom fell out. I couldn’t learn fast enough to keep up with the aching desire to not only know, but experience the one we call God.

With the pieces of my broken religion scattered on the floor around me, I’ve tried to learn another way of knowing God. Reading books, blogs, sermons. Reading the words of others who have walked this journey before me. Reading the Scripture in new translations, through new eyes.

But I’m realizing that perhaps I don’t need to learn more.

Perhaps instead of rebuilding another structure of spirituality to replace the one I lost, this is a time for living without the structure. A time for learning to unlearn.

Maybe it’s in the spaces between knowing that I’ll find the quiet presence of God.

Maybe I must only become like a child to enter the Kingdom.

read more: Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr

[ image: krelle ]

published June 25, 2014

subscribe to updates:

(it's pretty much the only way to stay in touch with me these days)

leaf