The truth really DOES “make you free.” I learned that a long time ago, but am always rediscovering it. For many years our community has reaped the benefits of the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory, the Enneagram, and other tools that promote self-knowledge. Awareness (in this case of ourselves and how we work, and our little quirks) has been for us a wonderful tool for working and living together, and certainly is a key to spiritual and personal growth
For example, awareness of what it means to be an extrovert has helped me in the workplace, in understanding how I work and how it’s different for introverts (I have learned a little bit about how not to drive them crazy). But it has also aided my spiritual growth.
I had one of the most enjoyable, complete prayer experiences of my life earlier this month. As I thought about it afterwards, I realized it was because I had really let out my extrovert! I was praying with all my senses: music, a cup of coffee, the fresh scent of flowers, muscles relaxed from a swim, the vision of candle flame and sunshine, My whole body was into the experience, focusing outward and then bringing it all into my prayer.
In the spiritual formation of my generation, we used exercises and prayer forms that must have been designed by and for introverts. It was only in my 40th year that I learned that my spirituality is not inferior, just different–what freedom! I wonder how many other spiritual seekers are out there, trying to fit a round peg into a square hole?
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free!”