The Necessity of Order for Transformation

There is a foundational structure that must be honored—not for control, but to ground a person when everything unravels. The necessity of order is not about resisting change but about holding steady when change becomes disorienting. Only from that base can disorder be faced without collapse. Allowing the rhythm of order, disorder, and reorder creates space for transformation. There must be enough order to contain the disorder, enough authentic conservativism to hold together the scary advance of history, enough containment to hold a lot of variation. Punitive theology can then be released in favor of justice rooted in mercy. Divine love does not operate through fear but through internal conversion. Fear-based systems must be outgrown. Heart-based clarity must be practiced. This path demands maturity and trust. It isn’t easy. Yet this movement into a more universal, stable, and compassionate order is possible—and necessary.

May the balance of order and disruption
guide us toward a deeper justice
rooted in mercy and inner transformation.

(inspired by Richard Rohr, The Tears of Things)