Standing on the Edge of the Inside

On the journey to discover inner and outer freedom, many of us find that the true center isn’t really in the middle at all—it lies at the edges. Richard Rohr describes being at the “edge of the inside” as “a way of being in the world that is utterly free and grounded in the compassion of God.” 

Standing on the edge of the inside does not demand huge sacrifices or major life changes — though some will be called to do just that. It simply asks many of us, as Diane says below, to be more intentional in the small ways we engage with the world. 

“Fr. Richard’s meditations living ‘on the edge of the inside’ mention people who don’t watch TV, have a daily prayer life, and who put themselves in risky situations. I love St. Francis and St. Clare but have never considered how my choices are, in a small way, like theirs.”  

—Diane P., CAC community member

Discovering What is Yours to Do

When Fr. Richard talks about standing on edge of the inside, he often says, “The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better. Oppositional energy only creates more of the same.” Living at the margins often requires moving beyond living in my story (focus on our individual lives) or our story (identifying with a particular group), and experiencing the world through God’s Great Story. 

Rhett Engelking, a Secular Franciscan, and member of the 2016 Living School cohort, left an entire career behind when he heard the call to steward creation. “In 2013, I left a job in recreational therapy because I believed then, as I do now, that there is inherent power in an awareness of Christ’s presence in all of Creation and that this awareness leads to profound social change.

“I work on ecology, immigration, and anti-racism efforts for an organization that facilitates the common voice and activity of male Catholic religious leadership in the United States. Powerful legislators still haven’t gotten the message on the dangers of consumerism, capitalism, and climate change (neither have many Catholics).

“I join those who have personally struggled in the current national political and religious climate. At this time, I do feel called to be near to the seats of power and I take solace in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., ‘The time is always right to do what is right.’”

“There is inherent power in an awareness of Christ’s presence in all of Creation and that this awareness leads to profound social change.” 

—Rhett Engelking, “A Xennial Franciscan,” CAC Alumni Quarterly

Challenging the Status Quo

Over the years, Fr. Richard has often taught about St. Francis’ story — how he challenged the status quo by tossing aside his rich robes and walked among those most often oppressed and excluded. He stood at the edge of the inside of his own story — and the story of his church.