The Inner Process of Change
Jesus’s daring notion of casting fire upon the earth, cited in the epigraph, is one
of my favorite metaphors. I love the image of fire, not for its seeming
destructiveness, but as a natural symbol for transformation—literally, the
changing of forms. Farmers, forestry workers, and Native peoples know that fire
is a renewing force, even as it also can be destructive. We in the West tend to
see it as merely destructive (which is probably why we did not understand the
metaphors of hell or purgatory).
Jesus quite clearly believed in change. In fact, the first public word out of his
mouth was the Greek imperative verb metanoeite, which literally translates as
“change your mind” or “go beyond your mind” (Matthew 3:2, 4:17, and Mark
1:15). Unfortunately, in the fourth century, St. Jerome translated the word into
Latin as paenitentia (“repent” or “do penance”), initiating a host of moralistic
connotations that have colored Christians’ understanding of the Gospels ever
since. The word metanoeite, however, is talking about a primal change of mind,
worldview, or your way of processing—and only by corollary about a specific
change in behavior. The common misunderstanding puts the cart before the
horse; we think we can change a few externals while our underlying worldview
often remains fully narcissistic and self-referential.
This misunderstanding contributed to a puritanical, externalized, and largely
static notion of the Christian message that has followed us to this day. Faith
became about external requirements that could be enforced, punished, and
rewarded, much more than an actual change of heart and mind, which Jesus
describes as something that largely happens “in secret, where your Father who
sees all that is done in secret can reward you” (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18). Jesus
invariably emphasized inner motivation and intention in his moral teaching. He
made religion about interior change and “purity of heart” (Matthew 5:8), rather
than anything people can see, or anything that will produce any social payoff or
punishment. This refines religion at the very point where it’s most likely to
become corrupt and manipulative.
The inner process of change is fundamental to everything, even our bodies.
Think about it: What if the next wound to your body could never be healed?
Having undergone several surgeries myself, I was consoled by the way my body