I recently came
upon a new word coined by Donald Drysdale: Godincidence (definition: not a coincidence, but caused by God). Not everything is caused by God, of course, because we
have been given the free will to make choices, and those choices have
consequences. However, I do believe that God uses whatever we encounter—in
ourselves, in others, and in the world—to call us to fuller life in the Spirit.
In this respect, everything is capable of leading us to wholeness and holiness.
As Christine Valtners Paintner observes,
“Monastic
spirituality calls us to see everything and everyone—including ourselves—as
holy. The tools of the kitchen are to be regarded as sacred vessels. The
places in our heart where we wrestle are to be embraced with kindness. The
person who irritates us or makes us feel fearful is a window into how God is at
work in our lives. Being a monk in the world means that there are no more
divisions between sacred and secular.”
This attitude can
lead us from despair to hope; the deeper the shadow we face, whether within
ourselves (addiction, feelings of unworthiness, or pride) or in the world
(disregard for life, unbridled greed, racism, or misogyny), the more urgent the
invitation to face our wounds and misconceptions and choose that which gives
life—which is the true “Godincidence.”
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