In all normal spiritual journeys, people are humbled by a loss or presented with some new challenge, relationship, or situation which they are incapable of handling. Rohr believes that this failure is the only way for the ego to be humbled, allowing for the “false self” to disintegrate and the real self to emerge. While this is not a happy or comfortable fact, it is true. Even Jesus had to die on the cross, which Rohr considers Jesus’s “stumbling stone” (42). The author believes that Christians cannot tolerate the terrible tragedy of Christ’s death and so instead believe it was necessary to atone for their sins.

Rohr encourages the reader to “pay attention to life” to better understand their own suffering and how it might encourage them to grow if they can understand and embrace it (41). He reiterates that people must lose something in order to find it again, and that suffering can manifest as situations we cannot change, fix, or control. The Bible represents this experience by referring to Paul kicking against the goad (cattle prod) and only hurting himself further. This is a metaphor for how people should accept and learn from their suffering instead of raging against it. 

Loss is also depicted memorably in the ancient Greek myths, where it is represented by monsters, storms, poverty, isolation, and more. According to Rohr, these uncomfortable situations break down the “false self,” and make people open up to love (43). He points to the story of Francis of Assisi, who overcame his fear and disgust to kiss a person with leprosy. This transformative moment changed Assisi forever, as what repelled him opened him to love and helped him leave his old self behind. In contrast, people who remain comfortable and constantly experience success have stunted spiritual growth. Rohr muses that enslavers in the South likely believed they were “self-made” and that their material success kept them from experiencing humbling failures which could have prompted the empathy and compassion that comes with real spiritual maturity.

In this chapter Rohr continues with the same tone and approach, offering his own interpretation of scripture with the odd reference to mythology or philosophy. He leans on his poetic and persuasive wording to invite the reader to reconsider how they have interpreted the Bible and the situations in their own lives. The author uses scripture to support his argument that humbling failures are an essential step on the path to spiritual maturity, and, therefore, people should not struggle against their pain. He draws upon a passage in the New Testament, “It is well dramatized by Paul’s fall on the Damascus Road, where he hears the voice ask, ‘Why are you hurting yourself by kicking against the goad?’ (Acts 26:14),” explaining, “The goad or cattle prod is the symbol of both the encouragement forward and our needless resistance to it, which only wounds us further” (41). This analysis asks the reader to face and embrace the pain in their lives instead of angrily reacting to it.

By objecting to Christians’ interpretation of Jesus’s crucifixion (such as calling the substitutionary atonement theory “mechanical”) Rohr suggests that Christians have long missed the point of suffering and its role in personal transformation. He argues that Christians interpret Jesus’s death in this way because they “still want some kind of order and reason, instead of cosmic significance and soulful seeing” (42). Rohr’s bold critique of this theology shows a rejection of the Augustinian theory of original sin, cementing his position as a rebel priest.

Chapter Lessons

• All journeys to spiritual maturity include a major, humbling loss
• Constant material success can keep people immature and stunted
• Suffering can be necessary and beneficial to growth

Reflection Questions

• What is your “goad” in life which you resent? How might you learn or grow from this challenge or suffering?
• Rohr asks the reader to “pay attention to life” (41). In what ways could you be more present in your life? What are some of the external pressures or internal doubts that might be preventing you from being fully present and attentive?
• Rohr believes that narratives about being “self-made” and successful can be spiritually harmful. What people and circumstances have contributed to your success or happiness?