I finally started a book that has been on my bucket list since it came out in 2019. Forever Christ was written by my Franciscan #monkcrush, Richard Rohr. Rohr has been an innovative force of nature connecting the cosmos to Jesus and Jesus to the cosmos. He doesn't outright say that organized religion and church are bad, but simply preaches that Jesus, God and Christ are in all of us and in everything we see. He identifies as a Catholic mystic and is the founder of the Center for Action & Contemplation.
Leave it to mankind to create a bunch of churches with roofs, doors and rules that all claim superiority. This leaves me creating my own kind of religion where I tape together the things that matter most to me. As a Catholic and serious fangirl of Mary, I don't see myself ever leaving the church, but rather carefully shopping for the things I find most meaningful with a roll of duct tape handy.
I spend a lot of time manifesting and praying for more hope, love and faith -- in myself and in others. In Universal Christ, Richard Rohr says it best: Each of these Three Great Virtues must always include the other two in order to be authentic: love is always hopeful and faithful, hope is always loving and faithful, and faith is always loving and hopeful.
He also writes that humans were fashioned to love people more than principles, and Jesus fully exemplified this pattern. But many seem to prefer loving principles -- as if you can really do such a thing.
Whatever you believe, I hope you believe in LOVE.
I LOVE YOU.
XOXO.
p.s. The book dedication was my favorite dedication EVER. I dedicate this book to my beloved fifteen-year-old black Lab, Venus, whom I had to release to God while beginning to write this book. Without any apology, lightweight theology, or fear of heresy, I can appropriately say that Venus was also Christ for me.
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