Richard Rohr in his daily mediation on December 29 described the fixed point saying:
The fixed point is our place to stand. It is a contemplative stance: steady, centered, poised, and rooted. To be contemplative, we have to have a slight distance from the world to allow time for withdrawal from business as usual, for contemplation…
This meditation came to my inbox the same day that our five-year-old lost a training wheel. I found myself giving very similar instructions. “Don’t lean too far this way. Find your balance.”
And as I was instructing him, I find myself standing up a little straighter, pulling my shoulders back, and taking a deep breath. Finding my center, my fixed point.
There is nothing about this year that has been easy. There is nothing about this year that doesn’t bear the weight of the ever-changing nature of work, caring for children and family, and trying to stay connected in our bodies. For me, I find my shoulder hunching and my neck aching as if I am drawing in on myself. I have to make a concerted effort to stand up and find my fixed point.
For many of the people I travel with as a pastor or a spiritual director, this year has brought revelation. What they thought was their fixed point and what they thought gave them life and purpose, really wasn’t as important as they had thought. Others are still searching for that fixed point that would bring balance, strength, and peace to these days.
Wherever you are, know that you are not alone. If you are searching, there are many others searching alongside of you. If you are withdrawn in contemplation, there are others noticing with you. If you are hunched over trying to find the strength to stand tall, I am there with you.
May God’s peace overwhelm your heart and soul even today.