Richard Rohr Meditation: Body and Soul banner landmark For Plato, body and soul were incompatible enemies. But for Jesus, there is no animosity between body and soul. No Images? link Click here heading level 1 Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation From the Center for Action and Contemplation graphic Image credit: The Thankful Poor (detail), by Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1894. Private collection. Week Fifteen heading level 2 Human Bodies heading level 3 Body and Soul heading level 3 Sunday, April 8, 2018 I think my brilliant history and liturgy professor, Fr. Larry Landini, OFM, may have given the best explanation for why so many Christians seem to be ashamed and afraid of the body. In 1969, on the last day of four years studying church history, Fr. Larry offered these final words to us as he was backing out of the classroom: Just remember, on the practical level, the Christian Church was much more influenced by Plato than it was by Jesus. He left us laughing but also stunned and sad, because four years of honest church history had told us how true this actually was. For Plato, body and soul were incompatible enemies; matter and spirit were at deep odds with one another. But for Jesus, there is no animosity between body and soul. In fact, this is the heart of Jesus’ healing message and of his incarnation itself. Jesus, in whom the Word became flesh (John 1:14), was fully human, even as he was fully divine, with both body and spirit operating as one. Jesus even returned to the flesh after the Resurrection; so, flesh cannot be bad, as it is the ongoing hiding place of God. In the Apostles’ Creed, which goes back to the second century, we say, I believe in the resurrection of the body. I want to first point out what it is not saying and yet what most people hear. The creed does not say we believe in the resurrection of the spirit or the soul! Of course it doesn’t, because the soul cannot die. We are asserting that human embodiment has an eternal character to it. (Read all of 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul tries to communicate this in endlessly mysterious ways.) Christianity makes a daring and broad affirmation: God is redeeming matter and spirit, the whole of creation. The Bible speaks of the new heavens and the new earth and the descent of the new Jerusalem from the heavens to live among us (Revelation 21:1 3). This physical universe and our own physicality are somehow going to share in the Eternal Mystery. Your body participates in the very mystery of salvation. In fact, it is the new and lasting temple (1 Corinthians 6:19 20 and throughout Paul’s letters). Many Christians falsely assumed that if they could die to their body, their spirit would for some reason miraculously arise. Often the opposite was the case. After centuries of body rejection, and the lack of any positive body theology, the West is now trapped in substance addiction, obesity, anorexia, bulimia, plastic surgery, and an obsession with appearance and preserving these bodies. Our poor bodies, which Jesus actually affirmed, have become the receptacles of so much negativity and obsession. The pendulum has now swung in the opposite direction, and the fervor for gyms and salons makes one think these are the new cathedrals of worship. The body is rightly reasserting its goodness and importance. Can’t we somehow seek both body and spirit together? When Christianity is in any way anti body, it is not authentic Christianity. The incarnation tells us that body and spirit must fully operate and be respected as one. Yes, Fr. Larry, our Platonic Christianity is now feeling the backlash against our one sided teaching. Gateway to Presence: If you want to go deeper with today’s meditation, take note of what word or phrase stands out to you. Come back to that word or phrase throughout the day, being present to its impact and invitation. Adapted from Richard Rohr, Franciscan Mysticism: I AM That Which I Am Seeking, discs 3 and 4 (Center for Action and Contemplation: 2012), link CD , link MP 3 download and link Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self (Jossey Bass: 2013), 38 39. link Forward to a Friend right arrow Forward this email to a friend or family member that may find it meaningful. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up for the daily, weekly, or monthly meditations. link Sign Up right arrow Thank you for being part of CAC’s contemplative community. You are one of 285,245 readers worldwide (as of April 2018). heading level 2 News from the CAC heading level 3 The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival Fifty years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr dot , people around the country are taking up his mantle, challenging systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, and ecological devastation. We are compelled to stand up for and with those on the margins. Rev. Dr. William Barber, Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, and organizations across the United States are mobilizing thousands to mass non violent civil disobedience from May 13 June 21 at state capitals and in Washington, D dot C. Learn more and sign the pledge at link poorpeoplescampaign dot org dot (Note: The CAC is helping spread the word about this movement. Please visit link poorpeoplescampaign dot org or link the campaign's Facebook page for additional information.) heading level 3 Image and Likeness heading level 3 2018 Daily Meditations Theme God said, Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness. Genesis 1:26 Richard Rohr explores places in which God’s presence has often been ignored or assumed absent. God’s image is our inherent identity in and union with God, an eternal essence that cannot be destroyed. Likeness is our personal embodiment of that inner divine image that we have the freedom to develop or not throughout our lives. Though we differ in likeness, the imago Dei persists and shines through all created things. Over the course of this year’s Daily Meditations, discover opportunities to incarnate love in your unique context by unveiling the Image and Likeness of God in all that you see and do. Each week builds on previous topics, but you can join at any time! Click the video to learn more about the theme and to find meditations you may have missed. link graphic Richard Introduces the 2018 Daily Meditations We hope that reading these messages is a contemplative, spiritual practice for you. link Learn about link contemplative prayer and other forms of meditation. For frequently asked questions such as what versions of the Bible Father Richard recommends or how to ensure you receive every meditation please see our email link FAQ dot link graphic Center for Action and Contemplation Feel free to share meditations on social media. Go to CAC’s link Facebook page or link Twitter feed and find today’s post. Or use the Forward button above to send via email. 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