Living In the Holy Tension: When Two Truths Collide

Most of us don’t like tension.

We want things settled.

Clear.

Either this or that.

Right or wrong.

Stay or go.

Trust or doubt.

But the spiritual life doesn’t always work that way.

Sometimes two seemingly contradictive things are both true.

You can trust God and still have questions.

You can feel called forward and still be afraid.

You can love your life and still long for something more.

You can know God is present and still wonder where God is.

We assume one side must win.

But maybe it doesn’t.

Maybe some of the deepest growth in our spiritual lives happens when we learn to hold both sides long enough for God to show us something new.

Our Wisdom Teachers call this “holy tension.”

Peter Knew This Tension

There’s a moment in the Gospel when Peter and the other fishermen have worked all night and caught nothing.

Jesus tells them to lower their nets again.

They do.

Suddenly, the nets overflow with fish.

Peter sees what has happened, falls before Jesus, and says: “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

Peter sees his weakness.

But Jesus sees something more.

Jesus responds: “Do not be afraid.”

And then he calls Peter forward into a larger life.

Peter says: I’m not worthy.

Jesus says: I’m still calling you.

Both are there.

Peter’s weakness is real.

So is God’s invitation.

Jesus doesn’t argue Peter out of his humanity. He doesn’t say, “Peter, you’re perfect. Stop thinking that way.”

He doesn’t say, “You’re right. You’re a mess. I’ll find somebody else.”

Instead, Jesus meets him in the tension.

Do not be afraid. Come with me.

Maybe that’s where grace often meets us too.

We Want the Tension to Go Away

When two truths collide, our normal instinct is to fix it.

We analyze.

We overthink.

We Google.

We ask ten people what they think.

We make lists.

We try to figure out which feeling is right and which needs to disappear.

But what if the tension isn’t the problem? What if it’s something new trying to be born?

We are wounded and beloved.

Strong and vulnerable.

Certain about some things and unsure about others.

We need solitude and community.

We want to surrender and we want control.

We are becoming our True Self, and we are still a work in progress.

That doesn’t mean we’re doing the spiritual life wrong.

Maybe it means we’re actually living it.

Two Truths Can Open the Door to a Third

A paradox isn’t always a puzzle that needs to be solved.

Sometimes two truths need to be held together long enough for a deeper truth to emerge.

Think about Peter.

One truth: I am weak and imperfect.

Another truth: God is still calling me.

Peter could have chosen only the first truth and walked away in shame.

Or he could have ignored his weakness and pretended he had it all together.

Instead, Jesus invited him to hold both.

And out of those two truths, something new emerged:

My weakness does not disqualify me from God’s love or God’s call.

That’s grace.

We experience this in ordinary life all the time.

I’m afraid.

But I need to take the next step.

I don’t know how this will turn out.

But I sense God asking me to trust.

I’m grieving what was.

But I can feel new life beginning.

I’ve made mistakes.

But my story isn’t over.

We want to rush to an answer.

Yet God may be inviting us to stay in the tension a little longer.

That’s Why It’s Called Practice

I’m living this holy tension right now.

I feel called to work alongside a growing group of contemplative leaders helping the Christian church reclaim its contemplative tradition in fresh, street-level language that people can understand and live.

Yet, there’s fear in me too.

I’m not certain I’m doing the right thing. I sometimes wonder, is God leading me, or is my false ego wanting this to happen?

That self-doubt is real.

So is the calling.

Something stirs inside. I see relationships forming. I see doors opening. I see fruit unfolding.

So instead of trying to get rid of one side or the other, I’m learning to hold both.

I have doubts.

But I feel called.

I’m afraid.

But I want to follow where God leads.

This tension reminds me of Thomas Merton’s prayer.

In a paraphrase of his well-known prayer, Merton admits to God: I don’t know where I’m going. I can’t be certain I’m getting it right. But I trust my desire to follow You matters, and that You will keep leading me.

Merton’s prayer points to the holy tension.

Maybe grace is meeting me right there in the middle. Not by giving me absolute certainty, but by teaching me to trust God is leading me one step at a time.

And maybe that desire to keep listening, keep trusting, and keep taking the next faithful step is itself the flow of God’s grace.

What Do We Do With Holy Tension?

First, notice it.

Instead of immediately trying to make the discomfort disappear, name what’s happening.

There’s tension here.

Then name both sides.

Imagine holding one truth in each hand.

In one hand:

I’m afraid.

In the other:

I feel called forward.

Or:

I want certainty.

And:

I’m being invited to trust.

Don’t force one hand closed.

Hold them both open.

Then bring God into the middle.

You might pray:

God, meet me here.

And then be quiet.

You don’t need to manufacture an answer.

You don’t need to figure out the rest of your life.

Just notice.

Listen.

Wait.

Sometimes the deeper truth comes slowly.

An insight.

A nudge.

A new way of seeing the situation.

A softening in your heart.

Maybe simply enough light to see the next step.

Grace Often Gives Us Just the Next Step

Peter didn’t get a five-year plan.

He got: Do not be afraid.

And then: Follow me.

That’s often how spiritual life works.

We want the whole map.

God gives us the next turn.

We want certainty.

God gives us enough light for today.

We want the tension resolved.

God says: Stay with Me here.

Because sometimes grace doesn’t immediately remove the contradiction.

Sometimes grace opens our eyes to a deeper truth we couldn’t see before.

And sometimes grace gives us courage to keep walking while questions are still unanswered.

Maybe the Tension Is Sacred

So, the next time you feel pulled between two realities, don’t automatically assume something is wrong.

Pause.

There may be something sacred happening.

Your old understanding may be too small for what God is doing next.

The tension may be stretching you.

Making your heart more spacious.

Loosening your grip on certainty.

Teaching you to trust.

Revealing an insight that can’t emerge if you rush too quickly toward an answer.

Instead of praying: God, take this tension away,

maybe try: God, help me hold this with You. Show me what You invite me to see.

Then listen.

Because sometimes two truths that seem to contradict each other aren’t enemies.

Sometimes they form a doorway.

And grace waits in the middle.

Here’s a Tool for Your Spiritual Toolbox

The next time you find yourself caught between two truths that don’t seem to fit together, try this simple practice.

1. Name the two truths.

Don’t try to fix them. Just name them honestly.

2. Hold one in each hand.

Open your left hand and imagine placing one truth there.

Open your right hand and place the other truth there.

For example:

Left hand: I’m afraid of taking the next step forward.

Right hand: But I sense God inviting me into something new.

Let both be true for the moment.

3. Ask God for wisdom.

Take a few slow breaths and pray: God, give me the wisdom to understand what You’re inviting me to see as I hold these two truths.

Then be still.

Don’t force an answer. Simply notice what begins to stir—a word, an image, a sense of peace, a new perspective, or perhaps just enough light to take the next faithful step.

You may not get a complete answer.

But sometimes, when we stop forcing one truth to defeat the other, a deeper truth has room to emerge.

—brian j plachta

************************

Is Your Faith Stuck in Your Head?

Do you believe in God—but struggle to experience God in everyday life?

Do you long for more inner peace, clearer guidance, and a deeper sense of God’s presence?

The Divine Flow Experience is a six-week experiential workshop designed to help you move beyond simply knowing about God to actually experiencing God—through quiet, spiritual practice, community, and discovering how the Spirit is already moving within your life.

Less religion to figure out. More relationship to experience.

Click the link to learn more and register.

************************

If you’re seeking a gentler start to your mornings—one you can carry with you into your day to find more inner peace—I invite you to join divineFlow Daily, a free short reflection and quote sent to your inbox each day. In under a minute, it’s meant to help you slow down, breathe, and remember what truly gives life before the noise sets in.

Sign up for divineFlow Daily here.