Spiritual formation is at the center of our renewal. Only a well-formed heart finds rest and works from a place of rest. A heart patterned after the work and words of Jesus allows for the work of justice for all and peace on earth to become a reality.
Formation also helps us reclaim our relationship with God and the abundant life we were designed for. It shapes our personalities to become more of our true selves—a truer version of who God made us to be. We become more of ourselves and more like Jesus as we engage in grace-based practices like silence and solitude, listening, Examen, and more.
A well-formed heart loves well. The relationship between formation and action is symbiotic. Visualize it like train tracks–one rail is formation and the other is action, and the train needs both to run. If we focus on action but neglect our formation, we burn out. But if we attend to only formation and fail to take action, we stall out.
Pairing justice with formation is so important because the unformed, unloved heart is the true source of evil in humanity. Jesus knew this, and it was core to his life and teaching. Likewise, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work was animated by his personal formation in agape love. Through spiritual transformation, our hearts can become a source of life. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
The goal of our spiritual transformation is the transformation of the inner person, where our actions—good or evil—originate. The hope is to be formed into the kinds of people for whom seeking the peace of the whole community is the natural thing to do—not a hustle, not an attempt to prove anything.
