A path through a forest.

    Image: road100_4303.jpg, by xandert on morguefile.com   

Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation

Seven Themes of an Alternative Orthodoxy

Sixth Theme: The path of descent is the path of transformation. Darkness, failure, relapse, death, and woundedness are our primary teachers, rather than ideas or doctrines (Process).

The Demand for the Perfect
Is the Enemy of the Good

Meditation 23 of 51

We grow spiritually much more by doing it wrong than by doing it right. That might just be the central message of how spiritual growth happens, yet nothing in us wants to believe it.

If there is such a thing as human perfection, it seems to emerge precisely from how we handle the imperfection that is everywhere, especially our own. What a clever place for God to hide holiness, so that only the humble and earnest will find it!  A “perfect” person ends up being one who can consciously forgive and include imperfection rather than one who thinks he or she is totally above and beyond imperfection.

It becomes sort of obvious once you say it out loud. In fact, I would say that the demand for the perfect is the greatest enemy of the good. Perfection is a mathematical or divine concept; goodness is a beautiful human concept that includes us all. People whom we call “good people” are always people who have learned how to include contradictions and others, even at risk to their own proper self-image or their social standing. This is quite obvious in Jesus.

Adapted from Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life,
p. xxii-xxiii

The Daily Meditations for 2013 are now available
in Fr. Richard’s new book Yes, And . . . .

 
 

Readings for a Mature Christianity

A new issue of Oneing: “Ripening”

Oneing: Ripening  

“Where is this thing we call ‘life’ headed?
Who sets the standard? Is there any standard?”

  – Fr. Richard 

Richard Rohr, Joan Chittister, Tilden Edwards, James Finley, Kathleen Dowling Singh and others explore the intentional evolution of a life toward maturity and eldership.

Preparing for Christmas: Daily Meditations for Advent

Richard Rohr -- Preparing for Christmas: Daily Meditations for Advent  

Fr. Richard shares insights for each day of Advent that inspire a deepening into adult Christianity through knowing of the Cosmic Christ.

Order by November 15 to receive in time for Advent (begins December 1, 2013).

 

Available at store.cac.org.

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