The cross is the standing statement of what we do to one another and to ourselves. The resurrection is the standing statement of what God does to us in return. Richard Rohr More Quotes by Richard Rohr More Quotes From Richard Rohr Men must learn how to grieve, or they are inevitably angry or controlling, and they don't even know why. Richard Rohr knows grieving men Our culture is almost entirely prepared to not just help you create your false self, but to get very identified with it and attached to it. So, without some form of God experience, which teaches you who you are apart from that - we would say in the religious world, who you are "in" God, in the mind and heart of God - there's almost no way to get out of it. Richard Rohr religious self heart Once God and grace move us to the second half of life, religion becomes a mystical matter, rather than a moral matter. Richard Rohr half grace moving We are just a little tiny flicker of a much larger flame that is Life itself, Consciousness itself, Being itself, Love itself, God’s very self. Richard Rohr flames self littles Most of us live in the past, carrying our hurts, guilts and fears. We have to face the pain we carry, lest we spend the rest of our lives running away from it or letting it run us. But the only place you'll ever meet the real is now-here. Richard Rohr pain hurt running Because I am a part of the Big Picture, I do matter and substantially so. Because I am only a part, however, I am rightly situated off to stage right—and happily so. What freedom there is in such truth! We are inherently important and included, yet not burdened with manufacturing or sustaining that private importance. Our dignity is given by God, and we are freed from ourselves! Richard Rohr dignity important matter Until we learn to love others as ourselves, it's difficult to blame broken people who desperately try to affirm themselves when no one else will. Richard Rohr broken trying people It's important to note that Jesus and Christ are two different faith affirmations. Hardly any Christians have been taught that - they think "Christ" is Jesus's last name. Richard Rohr christian jesus thinking When you don't need to play the victim or create victims you are FREE Richard Rohr victim play needs Much of what is called Christianity has more to do with disguising the ego behind the screen of religion and culture than any real movement toward a God beyond the small self, and a new self in God. Richard Rohr ego real self I'm not trying to make political statements ,but theological statements. How can religion get itself so identified with one political party, exclusionary world views, or with "pelvic morality" as the defining issues of the Gospel? Jesus surely didn't. Jesus said to "preach the gospel to all nations", which means we do not just talk to ourselves. Richard Rohr party mean jesus Nature religions, for example, speak of summer, fall, winter, and spring. They see the downward path as the necessary prelude to any kind of upward path again. Our vocabulary is different. We Christians speak of the death and resurrection of Jesus. But unfortunately, we've projected it all onto Jesus and it didn't become a life agenda for the rest of us. Richard Rohr christian summer jesus Every viewpoint is a view from a point. Richard Rohr viewpoints views If you depend on being emotionally inspired or newly motivated, you will need a new fix almost every day. Richard Rohr motivated inspired needs Your heart has to be prepared ahead of time through faith and prayer and grace and mercy and love and forgiveness so you can keep your heart open in hell, when hell happens. Richard Rohr grace-and-mercy prayer heart The more one gives one's self in creative union with another, the more one becomes one's self. Richard Rohr creative self giving In solitude, at last, we’re able to let God define us the way we are always supposed to be defined—by relationship: the I-thou relationship, in relation to a Presence that demands nothing of us but presence itself. Not performance but presence Richard Rohr demand able solitude As to his gospel, Jesus Christ came into the world as the image of the invisible God to communicate to us that not only did we not need to be afraid of God, but that God is more for us than we are ourselves or one another. God's love is infinite, and unstoppable, and will win! Richard Rohr winning love-is jesus When 'happiness' eludes us - as, eventually, it always will - we have the invitation to examine our programmed responses and to exercise our power to choose again. Richard Rohr elude-us response exercise Transformed people transform people. Richard Rohr transformed wisdom people
