Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation
"The Cosmic Christ: Week 2"
"All-Inclusive, All-Pervading"
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
(All Saints’ Day)
Human beings are programmed to love all other living beings. We fall in love with persons and creatures, not so much with concepts or energies. We need “interface.” And so the Word or the Blueprint became flesh—one humble human, a Jewish Nazarene, called Jesus. Though it seems he was not particularly attractive, and many people despised and rejected him (see Isaiah 53:2-3 or Mark 3:21), Jesus in his full humanity was still alluring. We can relate to his suffering, his kindness, his friendship, his constant inclusivity.
Jesus is the microcosmic moment of the macrocosm, the Christ. Whatever we say about the Christ pertains to the whole universe. Christ holds everything together. He is the ultimate transcendence brought to earth and the ultimate inclusion of everything in God’s plan. In Christ everything is reconciled in heaven and on earth (see Colossians 1:15-20).
Christ is the name for the very shape and meaning of the universe. Jesus reveals this wonderful message in human form, showing us the full meaning of our own lives—in a way that we could love and admire.
By recognizing and honoring the Christ, I’m not downplaying Jesus. Quite the contrary, Jesus Christ is Jesus a hundred times over! But now Jesus can no longer be used as the mascot for our little club or to justify racism, imperialism, punitive behavior, or any form of shaming and exclusion. When we say that we believe in both Jesus and Christ, we are precisely including everything: the historical Jesus, plus all of creation, and ourselves too. “He is everything and he is in everything” (Colossians 3:11 JB), and “when he is fully revealed—and he is your life—you too will be revealed in all your glory with him” (3:4 JB).
When we understand this, matter itself becomes a holy thing. We worship God by walking with love and respect on this planet and with all other creatures. What a simple, universal, and wholehearted religion this would be! If this sounds like “the two great commandments” to you (see Mark 12:30-31), you’re right. This is truly “All Saints’ Day”!
Gateway to Silence: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
References:
Adapted from Richard Rohr, Christ, Cosmology, & Consciousness: A Reframing of How We See (CAC: 2010), MP3 download; and
The Cosmic Christ, disc 1 (CAC: 2009), CD, MP3 download.
Posted in Daily Meditations | Also tagged All Saints Day, Cosmic Christ, Incarnation, inclusion, Jesus of Nazareth-------
In this small, classic book, each day of Advent Father Richard offers a scripture passage, reflection, and question to help us know the Christ who is with us now . . . and always.
Available at store.cac.org.
Order by November 18 to receive shipments within the United States (or November 8 for shipments to other countries) by the beginning of Advent on November 27.-------
"The Cosmic Christ: Week 2"
"All-Inclusive, All-Pervading"
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
(All Saints’ Day)
Human beings are programmed to love all other living beings. We fall in love with persons and creatures, not so much with concepts or energies. We need “interface.” And so the Word or the Blueprint became flesh—one humble human, a Jewish Nazarene, called Jesus. Though it seems he was not particularly attractive, and many people despised and rejected him (see Isaiah 53:2-3 or Mark 3:21), Jesus in his full humanity was still alluring. We can relate to his suffering, his kindness, his friendship, his constant inclusivity.
Jesus is the microcosmic moment of the macrocosm, the Christ. Whatever we say about the Christ pertains to the whole universe. Christ holds everything together. He is the ultimate transcendence brought to earth and the ultimate inclusion of everything in God’s plan. In Christ everything is reconciled in heaven and on earth (see Colossians 1:15-20).
Christ is the name for the very shape and meaning of the universe. Jesus reveals this wonderful message in human form, showing us the full meaning of our own lives—in a way that we could love and admire.
By recognizing and honoring the Christ, I’m not downplaying Jesus. Quite the contrary, Jesus Christ is Jesus a hundred times over! But now Jesus can no longer be used as the mascot for our little club or to justify racism, imperialism, punitive behavior, or any form of shaming and exclusion. When we say that we believe in both Jesus and Christ, we are precisely including everything: the historical Jesus, plus all of creation, and ourselves too. “He is everything and he is in everything” (Colossians 3:11 JB), and “when he is fully revealed—and he is your life—you too will be revealed in all your glory with him” (3:4 JB).
When we understand this, matter itself becomes a holy thing. We worship God by walking with love and respect on this planet and with all other creatures. What a simple, universal, and wholehearted religion this would be! If this sounds like “the two great commandments” to you (see Mark 12:30-31), you’re right. This is truly “All Saints’ Day”!
Gateway to Silence: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
References:
Adapted from Richard Rohr, Christ, Cosmology, & Consciousness: A Reframing of How We See (CAC: 2010), MP3 download; and
The Cosmic Christ, disc 1 (CAC: 2009), CD, MP3 download.
Posted in Daily Meditations | Also tagged All Saints Day, Cosmic Christ, Incarnation, inclusion, Jesus of Nazareth-------
Preparing for Christmas: Daily Reflections for Advent
“‘Come, Lord Jesus’ is not a cry of desperation but an assured shout of cosmic hope.”[Richard Rohr]In this small, classic book, each day of Advent Father Richard offers a scripture passage, reflection, and question to help us know the Christ who is with us now . . . and always.
Available at store.cac.org.
Order by November 18 to receive shipments within the United States (or November 8 for shipments to other countries) by the beginning of Advent on November 27.-------
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
-------
Center for Action and Contemplation
1823 Five Points Road South West (physical)
PO Box 12464 (mailing)
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87195, United States
-------
No comments:
Post a Comment