Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation
From the Center for Action and Contemplation
Week One: "Introduction: Image and Likeness"
"In the Beginning and the End"
Sunday, December 31, 2017
From the Center for Action and Contemplation
Week One: "Introduction: Image and Likeness"
"In the Beginning and the End"
Sunday, December 31, 2017
God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26)
Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:17)
As we turn toward a new year, we embark on a new theme in the Daily Meditations: Image and Likeness. Centuries of Christian theology confirm that the “image” described in Genesis refers to our eternal essence in God which cannot be increased or decreased. It is the soul’s objective union with God. You (and every other created thing) begin with a divine DNA, an inner destiny as it were, a blueprint tucked away in the cellar of your being, that begs to be allowed, to be fulfilled, and to show itself.
“It is the Holy Spirit poured into your heart, and it has been given to you” (Romans 5:5). My “I am” is merely a further breathing forth of the eternal and perfect “I Am Who Am” of the Creator (Exodus 3:14). This “beingness” precedes all doing. I am loved—or better, I am love—before I do anything right or wrong, worthy or unworthy. To put it philosophically, ontology precedes morality. Without doubt, this is our “original blessing.” The divine indwelling is a gratuitous gift, standing presence, and guarantee. We are the containers, temples, and recipients of this gift. In a certain sense, it had nothing to do with us. And yet it is our own inherent and irrevocable dignity. I call it the True Self, an immortal, imperishable diamond.
The indwelling divine image moves toward fulfillment in each of us throughout our lifetimes. “Likeness” refers to our personal and unique embodiment of that inner divine image. It is our gradual realization of this gift. We all have the same objective gift, but different ways of saying yes and consenting to it. There are as many ways to manifest God as there are beings in the universe. Our personal and collective embodiments reveal aspects of the sacred through our personhood, relationships, fields of work and study, culture, economy, politics, and justice. Though we differ in likeness, the imago Dei persists and shines through all created things.
Earlier this year we explored divinization or theosis, the process of becoming our truest selves. The clear goal and direction of biblical revelation is toward a full mutual indwelling. We see the movement toward union as God walks in the garden with naked Adam and Eve and “all the array” of creation (Genesis 2:1). The theme finds its climax in the realization that “the mystery is Christ within you, your hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). As John excitedly puts it, “You know him because he is with you and he is in you!” (John 14:17). The eternal mystery of incarnation will have finally met its mark, and “the marriage feast of the Lamb will begin” (Revelation 19:7-9). As in the beginning, so in the end. Amen. Let it be so.
Gateway to Presence: If you want to go deeper with today’s meditation, take note of what word or phrase stands out to you. Come back to that word or phrase throughout the day, being present to its impact and invitation.
Adapted from Richard Rohr, Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self (Jossey-Bass: 2013), 17, 121-122.
Forward this email to a friend or family member that may find it meaningful.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up for the daily, weekly, or monthly meditations.
Thank you for being part of CAC’s contemplative community. You are one of 274,696 readers worldwide (as of December 2017).
News from the CAC
Happy New Year!
The Center for Action and Contemplation offices and visitor center are closed until January 2.
CAC’s online bookstore, store.cac.org, is open year-round! Due to the holidays and our annual inventory process, fulfillment of orders may be delayed; please allow additional time to receive your purchase.
"Image and Likeness"
2018 Daily Meditations Theme
God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness.” —Genesis 1:26
Richard Rohr explores places in which God’s presence has often been ignored or assumed absent. God’s “image” is our inherent identity in and union with God, an eternal essence that cannot be destroyed. “Likeness” is our personal embodiment of that inner divine image that we have the freedom to develop—or not—throughout our lives. Though we differ in likeness, the imago Dei persists and shines through all created things.
Over the course of this year’s Daily Meditations, discover opportunities to incarnate love in your unique context by unveiling the Image and Likeness of God in all that you see and do.
Each week builds on previous topics, but you can join at any time! Click the video to learn more about the theme and to find meditations you may have missed.
We hope that reading these messages is a contemplative, spiritual practice for you. Learn about contemplative prayer and other forms of meditation. For frequently asked questions—such as what versions of the Bible Father Richard recommends or how to ensure you receive every meditation—please see our email FAQ.
Feel free to share meditations on social media. Go to CAC’s Facebook page or Twitter feed and find today’s post. Or use the “Forward” button above to send via email.
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations are made possible through the generosity of CAC's donors. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation.
If you would like to change how often you receive emails from CAC, click here. If you would like to change your email address, click here. Visit our Email Subscription FAQ page for more information.
Image credit: White Sands National Monument, New Mexico by Nicholas Kramer, CAC staff - representing the spaciousness and freedom within us that is a reflection of the imago Dei.
---
Copyright © 2017
The Center for Action and Contemplation
PO Box 12464 (mailing)
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87195, United States
---
No comments:
Post a Comment