BY FORGIVING AND RELEASING

By grace and conversion, they realized that they could no longer project their inner violence outward, either creating victims or playing the victim themselves for their own empowerment. They see the only way to be victim in a generative and healing way is as Jesus did, by forgiving and releasing his crucifiers and himself. - Fr Richard Rohr, "Daily Meditation," December 26, 2016

I've been pondering the above Rohr quote since I first read it. I tend to believe the reason Jesus had to go all the way to crucifixion was that every time he "got over himself," he got no ego-victory bennies. only sneers and jeers for being a heretic or a wuss or, the worst, simply wrong. And here's the pearl beyond price: This, too, he fought not.

It was this nonresistance (a.k.a., acceptance, a.k.a., love) that lifted him to a higher plane, his highest plane being reached through crucifixion...and his return in toto to God consciousness.

The material world will never...can never...give seekers their spiritual gift. And, of course, the hard lesson we must needs learn is that any other gift, any other reward, is ego-driven, self contained, and keeps us on the material level...with cat scratch fever.

Thank you.