Richard Rohr's "Laughter, Liking, Delighting, Loving" Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States for Wednesday, 28 September 2016 Do you want to know what goes on in the core of the Trinity? I will tell you.[Meister Eckhart]

Richard Rohr's "Laughter, Liking, Delighting, Loving" Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States for Wednesday, 28 September 2016 Do you want to know what goes on in the core of the Trinity? I will tell you.[Meister Eckhart]
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation
Image credit: Dancers (detail), Edgar Degas (1834-1917), 1899. Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Spain.
"Trinity: Week 3"
"Laughter, Liking, Delighting, Loving"
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Let me share an astounding bit of poetry from Meister Eckhart, the wonderful fourteenth-century German Dominican mystic:

Do you want to know

what goes on in the core of the Trinity?

I will tell you.

In the core of the Trinity

the Father laughs

and gives birth to the Son.

The Son laughs back at the Father

and gives birth to the Spirit.

The whole Trinity laughs

and gives birth to us. [1]

God has done only one constant thing since the beginning of time: God has always, forever, and without hesitation loved “the Son”—and yes, you can equally and fittingly use “the Daughter”—understood in this sense as creation, the material universe, you, and me. The quality of the relationship toward the other is the point, not gender or even species.
God cannot not love God’s self in you (see 2 Timothy 2:13)! The “you” that holds the indwelling Spirit, which many of us call the soul, is always considered eternal and intrinsically good because of its inherent connection to God.
This flow of love goes full circle. The “Son” also creates the “Father” preciselyas Father—as any parent can attest. A parent is not truly a parent until the child returns the flow. Watch the joy and tears on a mother or father’s face when their little one first says “Mama!” or “Dada!”
Anything less than such divine laughter, liking, delighting, and loving we do not have time for anymore! Fear will never build a “new creation” (Galatians6:15); threat is an entirely worn out and false story line. The lowest level of motivation is guilt, shame, reward, and punishment; and it has not moved us anywhere close to a civilization of love.
The Trinity beautifully undoes all negativity by a totally positive movement that never reverses its direction. God is always giving, even in those moments when we experience the inaccessibility of love as if it were divine anger.
When you find yourself drawing these conclusions, look deeply inside yourself and you will probably find that you are angry and projecting your anger onto God. This very human pattern is illustrated throughout the Bible, as the text mirrors both the growth and resistance of the human soul. I call it three steps forward and two steps back. References to the “wrath” of God are an example of the two steps back. But the whole text moves slowly and inexorably toward inclusivity, mercy, unconditional love, and forgiveness. [2]
I do not believe there is any wrath in God whatsoever—it’s theologically impossible when God is Trinity.
Gateway to Silence: Dance with Us.
References:
[1] Meister Eckhart, Meditations with Meister Eckhart, trans. and ed. Matthew Fox (Bear and Company: 1983), 129.
[2] See my book Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality (Franciscan Media: 2007) for more on how the biblical text mirrors human development, both the growth and resistance of the soul.
Adapted from Richard Rohr with Mike Morrell, The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation (Whitaker House: 2016), 136-140, 166-167. This book is available for pre-order at thedivinedance.org.

Drawing from a Deep Well: A Men’s Retreat

with Richard Rohr

Friday, November 4–Sunday, November 6, 2016

Hyatt Regency Tamaya, Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico

In collaboration with CAC, Illuman welcomes all men to an experience of deepening. Drawing from his own experience and thirty-five years of teaching, Father Richard will explore what it means to be a spiritual man. Council gatherings provide opportunities to connect with other men on the journey.
Come to the river—the Rio Grande—and the quiet bosque—cottonwood forest. Come rest, reflect, and reconnect with your Source.

Learn more and register at illuman.org.

Please note that the Center for Action and Contemplation is unable to assist you with questions about this event. Visit illuman.org or email administrator@illuman.org for more details.
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Center for Action and Contemplation
Center for Action and Contemplation

1823 Five Points Road South West (physical)

PO Box 12464 (mailing)

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87195, United States
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