Cynthia Bourgeault: The Law of Three

 the foundational principles of the Law of Three:

  1. In every new arising there are three forces involved: affirming, denying, and reconciling.
  2. The interweaving of the three produces a fourth in a new dimension.
  3. Affirming, denying, and reconciling are not fixed points or permanent essence attributes, but can and do shift and must be discerned situationally.
  4. Solutions to impasses or sticking points generally come by learning how to spot and mediate third force, which is present in every situation but generally hidden.

.. The Paschal Mystery is another example, with affirming as Jesus the human teacher of the path of love; denying as the crucifixion and the forces of hatred driving it; and reconciling as the principle of self-emptying, or kenotic love willingly engaged. The fourthnew arising revealed through this weaving is the Kingdom of Heaven, visibly manifest in the very midst of human cruelty and brokenness.











.. we have an authoritarian-minded commander in chief who’s insisted that “torture works.”

.. Donald Trump declared that he would “bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.”


.. nominated for an administration position a lawyer who authored some of the infamous “torture memos

.. given serious consideration to reopening CIA black sites and expanding the use of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

.. many Americans (roughly half, sometimes more) support the torture of terrorism suspects
..  contributed to radicalizing a new generation of adversaries.
..  are haunted by flashbacks and nightmares, and a lasting sense of safety seems impossible to achieve.
.. psychologists’ complicity, whether through active participation or silent acquiescence, is so egregious.