THE AUTHORITY OF THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED
If religion is not primarily a belonging system, but is truly a transformational system, one would need, it seems to me, a very different kind of authority. One would need the guidance and conviction of one who has actually walked a journey of transformation himself or herself. One would need the authority of a person who can say, “I know what God does with pain. I should be blaming or bitter, but because of God and grace, I am not.” Not just the authority which says, “You must believe in this and you must believe in that” when often there is no evidence that the authority has ever drunk “of the cup that I must drink” as Jesus put it.
This utterly changes the nature of all true spiritual authority. I will offer you a simple litmus test to determine whether a person has healthy or unhealthy religion. What do they do with their pain—even their daily little disappointments? Do they transform their pain or do they transmit it? People who are practiced in transforming actual life pain, like Jesus on the cross, are the only spiritual authorities worth following. They know. They can lead and teach. The rest of us just talk.
Adapted from The Authority of Those Who Have Suffered
Indeed, Rohr gives us a picture of the Kingdom of God here on earth, with authority from a worldly view turned upside down.
From the Center for Action and Contemplation.
That sentence on what to do with pain jumped out for me too -- I don't always resonate with Rohr but this one is a keeper.
ReplyDeleteOh Grandmere. Thank you. I needed this today.
ReplyDelete--it's margaret
Yes. There's much for food for reflection in Rohr's words today.
ReplyDelete