Every Thing Is Sacred

1. Christ is everywhere: The Universal Christ transcends Jesus

Christ is God, and Jesus is the Christ's historical manifestation in time.

The Universal Christ. Fr. Richard Rohr presents a radical reimagining of Christ as more than just the historical figure of Jesus. He argues that Christ is the eternal presence of God in all creation, existing before and beyond Jesus. This cosmic Christ is the divine energy that permeates and connects all things, from the smallest particle to the vastness of the universe.

Implications for faith. This understanding of Christ has profound implications for how we view our relationship with God and the world around us:

• It emphasizes the inherent sacredness of all creation
• It promotes a more inclusive spirituality that sees God's presence in all religions and cultures
• It challenges us to recognize Christ in every person and situation we encounter

2. Embrace your True Self: Accepting God's radical acceptance

Faith at its essential core is accepting that we are accepted!

Radical acceptance. Rohr emphasizes that our deepest spiritual journey is about discovering and embracing our True Self - who we are in God. This involves accepting God's unconditional love and acceptance of us, exactly as we are. Many of us struggle with this concept because we've internalized messages of unworthiness or the need to earn God's love.

The path to wholeness:

• Recognize and let go of the False Self (our ego-driven identity)
• Embrace vulnerability and imperfection
• Trust in God's love even when we feel unlovable
• Allow ourselves to be transformed by this radical acceptance

3. The Pattern of Transformation: Order, disorder, reorder

We grow by passing beyond some perfect order, through a usually painful and seemingly unnecessary disorder, to an enlightened reorder or "resurrection."

A universal pattern. Rohr describes a fundamental pattern of spiritual growth that involves three stages: order (initial stability), disorder (necessary suffering and loss), and reorder (transformation and new understanding). This pattern repeats throughout our lives as we encounter new challenges and grow in wisdom.

Embracing the journey:

• Recognize that periods of "disorder" are necessary for growth
• Trust the process, even when it's painful or confusing
• Look for signs of "reorder" - new insights, compassion, and wisdom
• Understand that this pattern applies to individuals, communities, and entire societies

4. Suffering as a path to growth: Embracing pain with compassion

All great spirituality is about what we do with our pain.

Transformative suffering. Rohr challenges the common notion that suffering is something to be avoided at all costs. Instead, he presents suffering as a potential catalyst for spiritual growth and transformation. The key is how we respond to and integrate our pain.

Keys to growth through suffering:

• Acknowledge and sit with your pain rather than avoiding or numbing it
• Recognize the universality of suffering, fostering compassion for others
• Look for meaning and lessons within difficult experiences
• Allow suffering to soften your heart and open you to greater love

5. Resurrection as cosmic renewal: Death is not the end

"Resurrection" is another word for change, but particularly positive change—which we tend to see only in the long run.

Broader understanding. Rohr expands our view of resurrection beyond just the historical event of Jesus rising from the dead. He presents resurrection as a cosmic principle of renewal and transformation that is constantly at work in the universe.

Implications of cosmic resurrection:

• Death and loss are not the end, but part of a larger cycle of renewal
• We can experience "mini-resurrections" throughout our lives
• This view encourages hope and resilience in the face of challenges
• It connects our individual stories to the larger story of cosmic renewal

6. Moving beyond dualism: Embracing both/and thinking

The binary mind, so good for rational thinking, finds itself totally out of its league in dealing with things like love, death, suffering, infinity, God, sexuality, or mystery in general.

Limitations of dualism. Rohr critiques the Western tendency towards dualistic, either/or thinking. While useful in some contexts, this binary mindset often fails us when grappling with life's deeper mysteries and complexities. He advocates for a more nuanced, both/and approach to spirituality and life.

Cultivating non-dual awareness:

• Practice holding paradoxes and apparent contradictions
• Look for the truth in opposing viewpoints
• Embrace mystery and uncertainty
• Develop comfort with ambiguity in spiritual matters

7. Contemplative practice: Cultivating unitive consciousness

If we have some good teachers, we will learn to develop a conscious nondual mind, a choiceful contemplation, some spiritual practices or disciplines that can return us to unitive consciousness on an ongoing and daily basis.

The contemplative path. Rohr emphasizes the importance of contemplative practices in developing a more expansive, non-dual awareness. These practices help us move beyond our ego-driven, dualistic thinking and experience a deeper connection with God and all of creation.

Contemplative practices to explore:

• Centering prayer or meditation
• Lectio divina (sacred reading)
• Mindfulness and present-moment awareness
• Body-based practices like yoga or tai chi
• Nature contemplation

Benefits of contemplative practice:

• Increased self-awareness and emotional regulation
• Greater capacity for compassion and empathy
• Enhanced ability to see the sacred in everyday life
• Deeper sense of connection to God and others

Last updated: August 2, 2024