Wow!

Wow! Talk about writers block. I’m not even a writer and the past couple of weeks I’ve been blocked. I’ve been on the road part of that time and am stepping into what may be the next focus of my life experience. I still have not been “invited” to a specific place with the Peace Corps. Wondering if it is the way to go or if a more meaningful path may be here, stateside, closer to family and friends. The needy are here as well and some of them, especially the young are way more likely to be an instrument of change in this ol world than I directly. Maybe I could somehow mentor some of them in that direction? As I’ve stated before the writings of Richard Rohr have deeply effected me in the past year or so. I lately have been reading one of his newest books titled “The Naked Now”. Seems like somewhat of a provocative title for a Catholic priest. The focus of this piece is on revisiting the all encompassing existence of God with us. Without the trappings of our societal and ego based attachments, naked so to speak, as the Mystics viewed God. Before we institutionalized Him/Her in our image rather than the other way around. Learning to see as the mystics see. I’ve mentioned to others who are reading his books that it seems easier to highlight the insignificant parts of his books as there is so much meat in what he has to say. I’ve kind of come to the practice of putting stars on the Most impactful statements so I can return to them to summarize the thoughts. In this latest book he deals with the “contemplative life”, “Who are we and who is God”, “Non-dualistic approach to the way of seeing all”, “letting go as a path to getting it”, and the “Paradox which is God and us”. These quotes are for emphasis not to be quoting Richard. I believe that the last part of this post could be best served by inserting some of these “stared” passages of his in the hope that they will be impact full by themselves, for you. So from here out the quotes are Richards with a few (comments) by me. Enjoy! RV
“Our DNA is divine. The divine indwelling is never earned by any behavior whatsoever or any ritual, but only recognized and realized (Romans 11:6, Ephesians 2:8-10) and fallen in love with.” … “God becomes more a verb than a noun, more a process than a conclusion, more an experience than a dogma, more a personal relationship than an idea. There is Someone dancing with you, and you are not afraid of making mistakes….We do not pray to Christ; we pray through Christ.” (Beautiful). “..first..eye of the flesh(thought or sight), .second..eye of reason(meditation or reflection), and the third ..eye of true understanding(contemplation). I cannot emphasize strongly enough that the separation and loss of these three necessary eyes is at the basis of much of the short-sight-edness and religious crises of the Western world. Lacking such wisdom, it is very difficult for churches, governments, and leaders to move beyond ego, the desire for control, and public posturing. Everything divides into oppositions such as liberal vs. conservative, with vested interests pulling against one another. Truth is no longer possible at this level of conversation. Even theology becomes more a quest for power than a search for God and Mystery. One wonders how far spiritual and political leaders can genuinely lead us without some degree of mystical seeing and action, It is hardly an exaggeration to say that “us-and-them” seeing, and the dualistic thinking that results, is the foundation of almost all discontent and violence in the world.”
“A large percentage of religious people become and remain quite rigid thinkers because their religion taught them that to be faithful, obedient, and stalwart in the ways of God, they had to create order. They too are not bad people; they simply never learned much about wisdom, paradox, or mystery as the very nature of faith.” “Words and thoughts are invariably dualistic, but pure experience is always non dualistic. Think about that! Fundamentalism suffers from the same false seeing. It is basically a love affair with words and ideas about God instead of God himself or herself.” (fundamentalism here I don’t believe is limited to Christian fundamentalism).
“St Thomas Aquinas said in the thirteenth century: If it is true, then it is from the Holy Spirit. In the thirteenth century, when Christians demonized Muslims even more than they do today, St Francis told us friars that if we found a page of the Koran, we should kiss it and place it on the alter. His Christian truth was not fear-based. He could honor God and holiness anywhere it was found, and not just inside of his own symbol system.”... “Although we all use the phrase “peace of mind”, there is really no such thing. When you are in your mind, you are never truly at peace, and when you are truly at peace, you are never in your mind. staDon’t believe or disbelieve that statement either, just honestly observe yourself. Then you will know --but it will be an altogether new kind of knowing.”... “All great spirituality is somehow about letting go…two paths that break down our dualistic thinking and our inability to let go: the path of great love and the path of great suffering.” “No one comes to God just by loving or suffering, yet only those who have loved and suffered seem to come to God more deeply.”
“We were not able to balance humanity and divinity in Jesus, which probably reflects why we were unable to put it together in ourselves…Theism believes there is a God. Christianity believes that God and humanity can coexist in the same place!… most Christians are very good theists who just happen to have named their god Jesus. …Jesus came to model the full integration for us (1Corinthians 15:47-49).”
“We morphed into “Churchianity” more than any genuine, transformational Christianity. While the two need not be in opposition, we were schooled in systematic theology, running schools to create more Catholics, and the administration of sacraments more than the Gospel lifestyle itself. And it is primarily a lifestyle!”... “If it is of any consolation, “the whole batch of dough will get it, if a small handful of dough gets it,” ..a truth we now indicate popularly with the hundredth monkey or the tipping point. …What we are enjoying now, and the hope I wish to offer in this book, is a renaissance of the contemplative mind, the one truly unique alternative that religion has to offer the world. Without this new mind, most doctrines, moralities, dogmas, and church structures will almost certainly be misunderstood, misused, and mishandled. Small people make everything small.”
“Eckhart Tolle..The Power of Now…The Sacrament of the Present Moment..The Psalmist said it well in Psalm 34:8; not “think and see” but “Taste and see”…faith and reason are not opposites….the proof that an apparently higher state of awareness is genuinely higher, is that it always includes and honors all the previous stages.” (This last sentence is most impact to me and reflects also to the Mclaren work “Generous Orthodoxy”). “You can tell adult and authentic faith by peoples ability to deal with darkness, failure, and non validation of the ego ---and by their quiet but confident joy! Infantile religion insists on certitudes or “light” every step of the way and thus is not very happy.”
“St. Bonaventure ..God is the One whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.”..”Words are mere guideposts now, and you recognize that most people have made them into hitching posts(I love this metaphor)…paradoxes are easily accepted, and former mental contradictions seem to dissolve…mystics can forgive and let go and show mercy and love enemies….They are only in love, with life, and life for all. They may look dangerous and even heretical to those who have not shared a similar experience, and that is a burden they must forever carry. They have no time for being against; there is now so much to be for!” (This ends the selected quotes from Richard. I hope they entice you as they did myself. Some of his material was referenced and some were not in these excerpts. I urge you to pick up a copy of his works and glean all he has to offer.) Again Peace and Paradox to you all! RV