You corrupted wisdom

Ezekiel 28:16 You corrupted wisdom by using it to get worldly fame.

I was at a seminar on spirituality and psychology several months ago and the presenter began by speaking about "The Secret". His comment was that the ideas of the secret were absolutely correct and 180 degrees wrong. It turns the notion of the spiritual life into a way to get more of what I "want" -- all the things that I think will make me feel secure and happy (material objects and wealth, fame and renown) which will only pull me more deeply into the world's values. Spiritual values, by contrast, are profoundly and unapologetically counter-cultural. Yes, I can use spiritual understandings, gifts and practices in this way, but it corrupts them and denies me the true fruit: a deep humility which allows me to enter the full richness of each moment, to be an integrated part of life on this planet which is as full of pain and suffering as it is with joy and happiness.

Suffering is the refiner's fire of the spiritual life, and if we try to avoid the inevitable suffering life brings we are condemned to skimming its surface without really engaging with it. So not only do we corrupt the spiritual wisdom offered us, but we miss the greatest gift they have to bestow: the transformation of our own hearts.

Prayer: Dear God, You have called me on a spiritual journey. Help me to stick with it through whatever life brings along the way, and teach me to value the true fruits of my spiritual path. Amen.