Conformity

 Some people react to what they think is “conformity” by taking up a negative conformity.  I remember when I was younger, and entering the the years of preparation for being ordained a priest.  I decided that I was not going to conform to the “establishment.”  I was not going to have a trim haircut, clean shaven face, or wear cache pants and plaid shirts when at leisure.  So I begin to look to like the “non-conformists” I saw hanging on the edges of conformity.  I grew long hair, beard, wore tank tops, wild colors in clothing and so on.  I conformed to the non-conformist look.  Who knew what a mess?  Anyway, now I don’t ask myself what a monk is supposed to look like, or what I don’t want to look like.  No more negative conformity, but rather what does God want changed on my insides.  How can I conform to God’s will for me?  It is a lot easier to simply change the outsides and fake that the insides changed too.