"The sacrificial instinct is the deep recognition that something always has to die for something bigger to be born. We started with human sacrifice (Abraham and Isaac), we moved to animal sacrifice (the ritual killing of the Passover lamb described in Exodus 12), and we gradually get closer to what really has to be sacrificed—our own beloved ego—as protected and beloved as a little household lamb! We will all find endless disguises and excuses to avoid letting go of what really needs to die. And it is not other humans (firstborn sons of Egyptians), animals (lambs or goats), or even “meat on Friday” that God wants or needs. It is always our false self that has to be let go, which is going to die anyway."By becoming the symbolic Passover Lamb, plus the foot-washing servant in John’s Gospel, Jesus makes the movement to the human and the personal very clear and quite concrete. It is always “we,” in our youth, in our beauty, in our power and over-protectedness that must be handed over. Otherwise, we will never grow up, big enough to “eat” of the Mystery of God and Love. It really is about 'passing over' to the next level of faith and life. And that never happens without some kind of 'dying to the previous levels'" (Taken from "Wondrous Encounters for Lent" pp. 134-135 by Richard Rohr).
In my opinion, Richard Rohr has beautifully expressed in the above quotation the often-missed message that the cross of Jesus holds for us today. As long as the ego is running things, we are always looking for someone to die in our place. It's what happened to Jesus in those days, and it happens afresh inside of us when we trample underfoot and sacrifice the Christ consciousness by allowing the ego to rule our lives.
2 comments:
Mae- I am finding Rohr to be very stimulating and this post confirms that. I read so much here that agrees with Tolle. I am listening, once again, to "the Power of Now" and reading "The Naked Now". Oh, how they mesh. How great is that!
I really like Richard Rohr, too. And it's really exciting when so many give evidence of the One Reality, just expressed in different ways!
Post a Comment