The Gift of Crazy!!

 Crazy keeps you from going insane, and it is God's way of getting you to crack up, as in smile and laugh, at yourself and the situation." ~ John-Roger

A small-minded man I know called a woman I love “a nut-case" in the midst of a disagreement. I found his label annoying, since, while he is a creative musician, he is clearly under-developed in his awareness of people and the Universe in a particular way. Anything he doesn't understand, that doesn't fit in his box, that isn't the "norm" gets neatly labeled "crazy" and tucked away in his “nut-case” box forever. Isn't that what so many people do with so many people they just don't "grok." And isn't that what so many people do with ways of life, ideas and concepts that don't match their own? They simply label them WRONG. And "crazy" is a really easy way to make someone or something wrong, because our culture doesn't value "craziness" and doesn’t understand how important exploring some of that state can be to being healthy.

As both a psychologist and a minister, I have found that sometimes, as people do Inner Work to break free of the mental and emotional cages they find themselves imprisoned in, they must explore aspects of themselves that other people simply hide from. Through this self-exploration, they learn about themselves and often become better people-- healthier, stronger and more compassionate. "

There is a wonderful quote by Maya Angelou in which she suggests (paraphrased) that we "invite our Demons in for tea or soup. . . and get to know them better. . . become friends with them," if we are ever to completely know ourselves and find True Peace and Compassion.

Rumi also spoke frequently of "madness" as being a legitimate and necessary aspect of one’s search for and finding of a deeply personal, intimate relationship with Spirit and Oneness with the Beloved. Take for example the following poem:

“The nafs is a sea of calm until it roars.

The nafs is a Hell that radiates little heat.

The nafs is an ankle-deep river you drown in.

Better to be ignorant of worldly concerns,

better to be mad and flee from self-interest,

better to drink poison and spill the water of life,

better to revile those who praise you,

and lend both the capital and the interest to

the poor, forgo safety and make a home in danger.

Sacrifice your reputation and become notorious.

I have tried caution and forethought;

from now on I will make myself mad.”

~Rumi

Perhaps being "crazy"-- or a "nut-case," as this person described my friend-- is simply a matter of being sane enough, sensitive enough and "free" enough to explore, express and BE outside the box that so many people, including, obviously, even some artistic, seemingly "creative" people inhabit. Perhaps it is simply about being a big enough person to embrace all aspects of oneself, including those that are somewhat uncomfortable and “dark.” And perhaps it is having the courage to not always match other people’s models.

I find that as I have become older-- more mature, healed and Whole-- and more attuned to and aligned with What Is, I have simply stopped labeling people so randomly. I look for the Best and the Good in everyone. I try to find qualities to enjoy about people, even if I do not necessarily understand them. I withhold my judgment of what is "normal," right and good more and more often, because I am acutely aware that I may not be seeing the whole picture. I allow room for the possibility that there may be something about the person or situation that is outside my range of experience and my value judgments.

John-Roger Hinkins also noted that if we could see into the deepest corners of our enemies’ Hearts, indeed the darkest corners of their Souls, we would have nothing but Compassion for them-- so why not have that Compassion, even if we are not able to peer that far into another person's Beingness. We can CHOOSE, even in OUR darkness, to have that big of a Heart . . . to be that Divine!