On Half-Built Towers, a Word from Debra Farrington, and Planning for Growth
A Note from Me
My early purgative years were full of fire—conviction, clarity, urgency. The fire burned away illusions, stripping false ideas about God and myself. It was a gift, lighting the path ahead, helping me embrace transformation. There was energy, inspiration...
But somewhere along the path, my excitement turned into disorientation. I was running in multiple directions without gaining traction.
Each new practice stole attention from the last, leaving a trail of half-built habits. I was always chasing the next thing—the next practice, the next book, the next spark of insight. And like any project started without a plan, my spiritual life was beginning to resemble a construction site—scattered, unfinished, unstable.
Jesus’ warning about the incomplete tower was playing out in my life.
In the first century, building a tower took years. Every stone had to be hauled, cut, and placed with care. The real cost wasn’t just materials but patience. Without planning, a half-built structure stood as a silent witness to poor preparation.
Jesus warns us not to let our apprenticeship be like that. Don’t set out toward the Unitive Way without planning. Yet that’s exactly what I did—not intentionally. I just didn’t realize planning was part of the process.
In The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard wrote about the need for a Curriculum for Christlikeness but I couldn’t find one right away. It took several years before I did. Oddly enough, it wasn’t something new, it was old. Very old.
A Rule of Life.*
*From Chapter 5 of my first book Dwelling in Christ: Discover the Threefold Path of Spiritual Transformation
A Voice from the Christian Tradition
That desire to be in a relationship with God is at the core of the rule of life. By making a commitment to prayer, to study, to a spiritual community, to our own needs and those of others, we create a balanced life that revolves around our love of God. We come to that commitment as a result of our own romance with God, out of the knowledge that God loves us and wants–desperately—to be in a relationship with us. And as a result of the love we experience we are emboldened and spread that love outward to others.
—Debra Farrington, Living Faith Day by Day
A Question to Carry
What small rhythm could anchor your days right now?
One stone at a time,
—Jon
Look forward to reading your book, Jon!