Entropy Part 5
March 5, 2026
Entropy Part 5
The first sign of entropy isn’t collapse…
It feels like easing into warm water after a long day. Nothing is wrong. Nothing hurts. And yet, almost imperceptibly, something vital begins to dim. We find that it is not water we are in, but quicksand.
We all pass through seasons when this gentle immersion happens. Our enthusiasm softens, our attention loosens, and our spiritual practices quietly cease. Entropy rarely announces itself as a problem; it arrives as comfort or relief. We disengage, not because we don’t care, but because life feels full, demanding, and already good enough.
Entropy often begins with reassuring inner conversations: I’m okay. I’ve done enough work. This is a busy season. My spiritual life can wait. These thoughts sound reasonable, even wise. Yet they subtly separate spirituality from daily life. In that separation, entropy finds its opening.
At first, it feels like a well-earned pause. But instead of returning refreshed, we extend the pause without noticing. What we forget is not that spirituality matters, but that it is alive. And like anything alive, must be nourished. Without attention, our spiritual sensitivity dulls, maybe not dramatically, but gradually. We still respond to life, but more from habit than presence, more from reflex than from our deeper knowing. The higher response is still within us; it simply isn’t accessed.
Our life and our spirituality are not two separate domains. They are one in the same and create one person. To take a break from spirituality is a bit like saying we are taking a break from our digestion. We may continue functioning for a time, but eventually we dissipate. A well-tended inner life metabolizes experience with wisdom and grace; a neglected one brings spiritual indigestion.
In Enneagram language, this quiet drift is known as disintegration, which is the movement toward the low side of our stress point. One of the great gifts of the Enneagram is that it does not shame us for this movement; it illuminates it. It shows us what to watch for, and more importantly, how to return.
Haley and Phil, in their mid-forties, live full lives. With two teenagers and endless responsibilities, they are stretched thin. Yet one commitment is still steady: a weekly spiritual study group devoted to prayer, inquiry, and shared reflection. It might seem small, even expendable in this demanding season of life. But for them, it is essential. That hour is not an obligation but a home base. It nourishes their inner life, strengthens their parenting, and deepens their relationship. They don’t keep going because they “should,” but because they know who they become when they do. The group is fun, affirming, and uplifting.
Entropy is not a failure, but an invitation. It can be a quiet reminder to return, to re-engage, to feed what gives us life, IF we are aware of it. The path back is rarely dramatic. It is made of small, faithful choices that keep the soul awake and the heart connected.
Spiritual practice: What daily spiritual practices are essential to you and why? List them and discern if they are doing what they are intended to do. If some are not, or if they are worn out or no longer life-giving, read about other spiritual practices that can keep you healthy and alert.
Self-inquiry: What is your greatest bulwark against entropy?
Prayer:
Dear God, for those touchstones, those anchors that keep my eyes open and my heart receptive, I am so thankful. Amen
