Monday, March 03, 2008

Love and evil (slight return)

Just found this, from Richard Rohr, which was probably sloshing around in my mind somewhere when I wrote that last post. Fr. Richard seems to me to be saying something rather similar, though he doesn't take quite so many words...

Did Jesus not reveal for all humanity the very pattern of redemption itself? Could that not be what we mean by calling him "The Savior of the World"? (John 4:42). Jesus is, in effect, saying, "This is how evil is transformed into good! I am going to take the worst thing and turn it into the best thing, so you will never be victimized, destroyed or helpless again! I am giving YOU the victory over death!"

Jesus takes away the sin of the world by dramatically exposing what is the real sin of the world (ignorant attacking and killing, not purity codes), by refusing the usual pattern of attacking and killing back, and, in fact, "returning their curses with blessings" (Luke 6:27), then finally by teaching us that we can "follow him" in doing the same.

(from Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality)

2 comments:

Sue said...

Isn't it funny how more non-Christians than Christians seem to have tapped into this naturally, as a discovery? That's very strange ...

Reading your post I also thought of the verse about separating us internally through to joints and marrow etc, and this way of doing life certainly does that to me - makes me see the evil inside myself quite blatantly, and also the good.

I love the stuff you write about. Anyone who writes about Mr Rohr has my vote :)

Jan said...

This goes well with my post about detachment, which really is forgiveness and is "refusing the usual pattern of attacking and killing back".