“We are fired into life with a madness that comes from the
gods and which would have us believe that we can have a great love, perpetuate
our own seed, and contemplate the divine.”
This is Plato describing the human condition. His
description turns on “Which would have us believe…” There is nothing new under
the sun, and it’s not likely that addicts are specially gifted but just maybe
extra sensitive to that inherent madness which is born in us (fired into life)
or maybe we hold on longer than the average bear to believing that we deserve
and can have all of it: great love and the divine.
I think, though that we can. Not by using our special
medicines (alcohol, pills, food, sex, work or loving too much), and not by
holding ourselves up as special or different than other humans but by and
through surrender.
I’m contemplating this right now as I read the wonderful
book, “The Holy Longing” by Ronald Rolheiser: Canadian, theologian, specialist
in spirituality and systematic theology. This is one of those books that was
recommended to me over and over and now, finally, I am leaning into it.
I’ll share more here as we go along.
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