The Importance Of Disorder

Several friends have said: ‘You haven’t mentioned your new kitchen recently…’

In June we had our old kitchen, loved, well-used for many years; we knew where everything was. July was messy and chaotic; the new kitchen was fitted – everything was everywhere! August has been calm again; we’re really pleased with our new kitchen… although we’re not always sure where we’ve put things!

Yesterday I was reminded of Richard Rohr’s three stages of development – order, disorder, re-order. That’s our kitchen! We couldn’t have the new re-ordered kitchen without the necessary disorder.

Men’s Shed friends… Bob went into hospital yesterday for heart surgery; John’s having surgery on his skin cancer today. Both are undergoing physical disorder so that hopefully there will be an improved re-ordering.

Yesterday we heard from our nephew Benjamin. He and his family have lived for a number of years in the Ivory Coast. They returned to their ‘French home’ about 3 months ago. There have been family gatherings, visits to friends they haven’t seen for a long time.

The plan is to stay in France for a year… It’s a time of transition; a time to pause and consider before taking the next steps on their family journey; a time of disorder before re-ordering.

The Bible story of ‘The Prodigal Son’ starts with order: a stable family, a successful family business. There’s disorder: the son leaves home, parties, becomes broke, feeds pigs, despairs. There’s reordering: he returns home in a new relationship with his father. He needed the disorder to re-order his life.

When I retired from school-teaching in 2008 my Christian faith was secure, strong, ordered. I started a Bible College course; I read about different faith perspectives; there were challenging events at our church; my faith was going through a time of disorder.

And now… my faith is deeper, stronger, more secure, different. I’m still learning that disorder is uncomfortable but necessary for change, development and improvement.

The importance of disorder in kitchens, health, faith, life…