Week Twenty-Three: Non Dualistic Thinking. June 4 – The Third Way
Paradox is the ability to live with contradictions, realizing they can often be both/and instead of either/or. Richard Rohr
Gregg’s Reflection
As our spiritual journey deepens, we begin to discover there is a both/and for every either/or. We move beyond judging and condemning to awakening to deeper truths: beyond all division is unity and union with God. We learn how to hold paradox. Wade in with us.
In the early 2000s, I was living in Atlanta and walking our dog every day. One morning I noticed a homeless man sitting on a bench at the edge of the park. The next day he was still there, so I stopped to talk. His name was Travis. He was an artist — three of his large banners of Jesus were hanging on the front of the church across the street. But he also struggled with mental health challenges and wasn’t taking his medication.
The church had allowed him to sleep in a portico for a while, but when he began shouting expletives as parents brought their children to preschool, they asked him to leave. Now he lived on that bench. Half the people in the neighborhood were feeding and helping him; the other half just wanted him gone.
One morning, a neighbor invited me to a meeting about Travis at the church that evening. As I walked there, I prayed God would show me a way to help. At the meeting, the two sides argued: one wanted to help, the other wanted to involve the police. They were at an impasse.
As I listened, an idea came: “I think we can all agree we want Travis off the bench. What if we set up a GoFundMe? If each of us gave $20, we could raise enough to get him into housing.” It took some convincing, but the group agreed. Within three days, we raised $3,500. I helped Travis move into an extended-stay hotel, and from there he found subsidized housing.
My spiritual director later called this a “third force” — holding the tension of opposites long enough for Spirit to reveal a reconciling path forward. That day, I saw how nondual thinking works: it doesn’t pick a side, it finds a way that honors both. In a world so divided, we need more people willing to wait, listen, and look for that third way.
Scripture
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Matthew 5:9
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:3
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Romans 12:18
Ancient Quotes
Peace is the tranquility of order.
St. Augustine, City of God, Bk 19 Ch 13
Modern Quotes
Paradox is the ability to live with contradictions, realizing they can often be both/and instead of either/or.
Richard Rohr, The Spring Within, p. 235
The third way is not balancing or eliminating the opposites, but holding the opposites… to uncover a reconciling third that is bigger than both parts and doesn’t exclude either.
Richard Rohr, CAC Morning Devotion, 8/27/16
Journaling Prompts
- When have you seen two sides locked in an either/or debate?
- What helped you (or others) see a creative “third way” forward?
- How might prayer help you hold the tension of opposites long enough to let Spirit reveal a solution?
- Where in your life right now could you look for a win/win instead of a win/lose?
👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 23 Reflection: Non-Dualistic Thinking