“I say to you that unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the legal experts and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
—Matt. 5:20 (CEB)
Authoritarian Christianity depends on strict adherence to the rules. It’s a religion based on who’s in and who’s out according to how faithfully one follows what it sees as biblical directives.
It’s a righteousness based on being right.
But what if being right misses the mark? What if the very act of following the rules causes harm to others? Are our neighbors meant to be sacrificed in our pursuit of religious purity? Could there be a way to overcome that kind of dualistic thinking between external commandments and internal motivation?
This week at New Wineskins we’ll continue our pre-Lenten dive into the Sermon on the Mount with a discussion about how Jesus’ “You have heard it said…but I say to you…” statements point us to the heart of his mission to reveal the inherent dignity and humanity of every person. We’ll be led by Fr. Richard Rohr’s February 2020 homily, “A Fundamental Option for God,” which invites us to consider a non-dualistic way of overcoming legalistic fundamentalism with humility and subtlety.
Please join us this Sunday, Feb. 2, in the New Wineskins Virtual Theology Pub powered by Zoom for a conversation about the non-dual thinking of Jesus and how it helps us overcome petty religious conservatism with dignity and grace.
6:00pm ET: Happy Half-Hour (informal meet & greet time)
6:30pm ET: Presentation & conversation begin
Check out this week’s discussion video
Click here to view this week’s discussion video on YouTube
Drawing from the inspiration of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation, we’re starting 2025 with a dive into the Sermon on the Mount and its implications for today’s world. You may wish to subscribe to the CAC’s Daily Meditation email as a daily guide for our journey during this series.
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