Michael's Random Thoughts and Photos on Spirituality

Fr. Richard Rohr nailed it with this reflection this morning: Every Creature Is a Word of God Thursday, January 22, 2015 God brought things into being in order that his [sic] goodness might be communicated to creatures, and be represented by them; and because his goodness could not be adequately represented by one creature alone, he produced many and diverse creatures, that what was wanting to one in the representation of the divine goodness might be supplied by another. For goodness, which in God is simple and uniform, in creatures is manifold and divided. -Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, I, 47, 1 Each and every creature is a unique word of God, with its own message, its own metaphor, its own energetic style, its own way of showing forth goodness, beauty, and participation in the Great Mystery. Each creature has its own glow and its own unique glory. To be a contemplative is to be able to see each epiphany, to enjoy it, protect it, and draw upon it for the common good. (Some Sunda...

It is only a cartoon. Last Sunday around a million French citizens flooded the streets of Paris to proclaim freedom; freedom from tyranny, freedom of speech, religion, freedom from fear and terror. Freedom, however, does not mean I can do whatever I want. Freedom requires civility. Freedom does not mean just because I can, I should. Words, even cartoon words matter. That said, there is no justification for slaughtering anyone for what is only a cartoon, be it a misguided opinion or not. Freedom requires civility. There is nothing civil about extremism in any form. Extremism never expresses the core values of any religious tradition. Extremism is ego on steroids, what I want at all costs. Addressing extremism and extremists is not the same as addressing their so called religious identities. Extremism is born of a dark fear that I am not going to get my way, that I am only good or right if I can wipe out all opposition to my way of thinking. We see being played out on the world stage, t...