Lost is a Place, Too...

Lost Is a Place, Too: Ronald Rolheiser, author of (The Holy Longing) is a specialist in spirituality and systematic theology. He regularly writes a column in The Catholic Herald and lives in Toronto, Canada. This piece reframes the way we look at the dark, painful patches in our lives which John of the Cross called "the dark night of the soul." This can be a good place to be, a biblical and mystical place. "That doesn't make it less painful or humiliating, it just gives you the consolation of knowing that you're in a valid place, a necessary one, and that everyone before you, Jesus included, spent some time there and everyone, including all those people who seem to be forever on top of the world, will spend some time there too." Rolheiser suggests that while we are experiencing unpleasant feelings and fears, subtle transformations are going on in and around us. "The need to name being lost as a valid place is important for us, both communally and personally." Watch for his new book of essays due out in May; it's called Forgotten Among the Lilies: Learning to Love Beyond Our Fears.