Here are two wonderful quotes from Richard Rohr that I found recently, from his book "Everything Belongs:"
“Faith does not need to push the river precisely because it is able to
trust that there is a river. …the river is flowing; we are in it. The
river is God’s providential love – so do not be afraid.”
"Everything
belongs; God uses everything. There are no dead ends. There is no
wasted energy. Everything is recycled. Sin history and salvation history
are two sides of one coin. When you "get" forgiveness, you get it. We
use the phrase "falling in love." I think forgiveness is almost the same
thing. It's a mystery we fall into: the mystery is God. God forgives
all things for being imperfect, broken and poor. The people who know God
well- the mystics, the hermits, those who risk everything to find God -
always meet a lover, not a dictator. God is a lover who receives and
forgives everything."
Richard Rohr
"Everything is recycled"
ReplyDeleteA funny thing happened today. I opened my inbox and there was a new message from your blog Sparrow. As I read it, I felt reminded of some of the posts which you had written before and then I noticed the date was last August and I wondered how it came into my inbox today marked as a new post? (Did you post this out again to everyone by mistake?)
It is, "Treat Yourself as Your Papa Does!"
Posted: 21 Aug 2014 09:11 AM PDT
http://underthewaterfallofgrace.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/treat-yourself-as-your-papa-does.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+UnderTheWaterfallofGrace+(Under+the+Waterfall++.....of+Grace)&safe=vss
That should be the hyperlink to it.
Anyway, strange that it should come into my inbox as I'd been thinking something similar over the weekend. Still, I wanted to respond, so I wrote this:
That is still so lovely, Sparrow.
I have been thinking almost all weekend until now about Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. So last night I looked at some explanations about the meaning of this story and all the ones I found said quite clearly that this was Jesus saying that we were to be servants of each other, humbling ourselves before one. The part of this story that keeps getting in my mind is the words, “You might not understand what I’m doing now, but you will, you’ll get it yet. See, a person’s feet get dirty from the journey that they are on, but not the rest of him/her. By what I’m doing here on this Earth, living and dying for you, I’m going to show you that you are already clean and that you’ll only get dirty from the journey that you’re on.
While you’re on your journey through this world you’ll feel pretty dirty on the outside, all of those outside bits, the bits that are outside of your heart, outside of that special place where we already are One. Those bits that are subject to the troubles of this world, your faults, your failings and how you feel because of your circumstances or upbringing or religion or culture, all of the things which are put upon you by forces outside of your control, they’ll all make you feel unclean, but you’ll come back to me and I’ll make you clean once again.
I want you to go and live and whenever you get dirty, go and find me in each other and let them clean you up once again, let them remind you of who you really are deep down underneath all the layers, all of the dirt. If you can, go and find me in a still place and remember who you are, who I say you are. And don’t worry, I’ll see you again, one day all the layers will fall away once again and you’ll plainly see that there was nothing to fear all along the way”
So yeah, let yourself be unique and let yourself be imperfect, let yourself be the you that you were made to be – I couldn’t relate to you if you were perfect all the time anyway, I’d feel you to be so far above me and out of my reach, unattainable. And let yourself hurt and make mistakes and be amazing all in the one day! And let yourself lash out when it hurts and you don’t understand, and be human, and hold your head up high, and learn through your faults and failings, and still shine from time to time.
Thanks for your wonderful reminder.
Woolly
Woolly, I have no idea how that post got re-cycled, as you put it! It just 'happened' and I wondered what was going on, but the truth is, I read it through and was really encouraged...and now from reading your comment, I can see it was and is something I needed to hear right now..and maybe we all do from time to time. God has been showing me how often I beat myself up for having certain hangups, fears, and anxieties, for times of withdrawal from the world and the pains of life..how I beat myself up for being human, for reacting in the common way anybody would react when they suffer a hardship..it's time to stop feeling guilty for being a human being with feelings, psychological reactions, weakness, hurt and struggle. As you said so eloquently, walking the dusty roads of life tends to get ones feet dirty, but that doesn't mean we're dirty people! We're the same clean and beautiful ones we've always been, under the dust and grime. It's a relief to be able to be real about some things in my life, to actually be kind and compassionate with my own self for once! Tenderhearted and understanding, just as Jesus always is..for He remembers that we are dust, and yet so much more than dust as well - innocent and holy children, Spirit beings full of light and life! So thanks for what you shared, it resonated with exactly what I am needing to learn at this point in my journey..And so however that post got recycled, I am glad it did! Blessings to you my brother
ReplyDeletePeace to you, Sparrow. I like this a lot being human. Who we are is who we have to be! And I can stop beating myself up for not being a monk and meditating 24/7! Shall I keep running from who I am? Shall I keep turning to be more like the person I think I should be? I'm father to 6 children and love them each dearly, happiest by far and away when I'm with them just doing their thing in a simple way. Makes me exhausted., then other bits of my life don't seem to go so well and so I try harder .but fail to make the mark
ReplyDeleteThat's when I beat myself up.
Yet it's always the other way around. ALWAYS. see, I KNOW you are of little faith, I KNOW that you don't know what you're doing or how to work this out. I KNOW that you'll get tired and sleep while I watch. I KNOW that you'll turn from me, deny me even. Got it covered though, every single last bit of it. Got your back as they say.
Be who you are, that's the best bit about you, that's the unique part of you. The part that's perfect in every way well that's not even the interesting part, the perfect part looks the same in every single person.! But the imperfect part, now that's worth dying for. Wow! What do you think? Woolly
He is willing to give His life for the imperfect part of us! That is so beautiful and touching! He really does think we are 'to die for,' doesn't He?!
ReplyDeleteI love the words He speaks to us, just like a father would to his child, as you have written so beautifully..I think God is showing me I can say those very words to the imperfect parts of me, the hurting parts, the lonely and fearful parts, the parts that feel so broken and messed up..I can love myself and care for myself just as my Papa in heaven cares for me! All because of His love with which He first loved us! We love..others..and even ourselves..even our imperfect parts..because He first loved us..loved those imperfect parts!
Thank you for sharing that wonderful thought...blessings to you and your wife and 6 children!