Franciscan Priest Richard Rohr
The Franciscan priest and prolific writer Richard Rohr always has something to say. And those who come here to jitterbuggingforjesus.com on a regular basis know that your worthy leader of the cult of Jitterbug insists on nothing less than writers, artists, musicians, journalists, politicians, preachers, actors, poets, filmmakers and candlestick makers who have something to say–something that stands out from all the drivel and cliches and platitudes and stale and regurgitated thought that we get bombarded with pretty much 24-7 in this pop- and celebrity-driven culture, not to mention the unceasing bombardment of non-news but textbook propaganda we get from all those bitter and angry white men at Fox News–bitter and angry men like Ann Coulter and Laura whats-her-name.
You want pop culture stuff, consider a “Zero” Coca Cola. (Lord, what will they think of next.)
You want a deeper walk with that provocateur Jesus Christ our Lord and savior, find anything by Richard Rohr and read it. This tough-minded take on patriarchy is from his Radical Grace: Daily Meditations.
(For the Rev. Dr. Georjean (Jawjean) Blanton Renquist and Mr. Mike, for the good times and Sherry wine.)
Order or happiness?????
Christian men of power apparently have decided that happiness is optional. What is mandatory and necessary is that the world be divided into those who have power and those who don’t. It makes for good order, at least for those on top, and order is more important than happiness. Our word for this addictive view of reality is “patriarchy,” which means “rule of the fathers.” It is the basis of all major relational systems in the Western World.
In this patriarchal view (1) all relationships are eventually defined in terms of superiority and inferiority and (2) the all-important need for order and control is assured by the exercise of dominative power. Now that does not sound so bad if the status quo happens to be working in your favor. But it has served to dehumanize and therefore de-spiritualize generations of races, nations, professions, women, sexual minorities, handicapped people, the weak and the elderly whom the powerful are able to culturally disparage and dismiss as “of no account.”
Not only are the rich and powerful able to project their own darkness onto such groups, but the groups normally accept that darkness as their true value. The utter evil of such patriarchy is that both the oppressor and the oppressed are incapable of real spiritual growth. the powerful, by rejecting their shadow, are hopelessly inflated. The powerless, by receiving others’ shadows, are endlessly deflated. Both lose. That is why patriarchy is evil.
