“As long as we believe in the dirty rotten system, we’re going to have problems. For we don’t question it. We think we can genuflect before the system but go say our private prayers. But it won’t work. There is probably no one more truly radical than real persons of prayer because they are beholden to no ideology or economic system, but only to God. Both church and state are honestly threatened by true mystics. They can’t be bought off because their rewards are elsewhere.” ~ Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM

I never thought about how true mystics can viewed as a threat to both the church and state, which demonstrates the power that they yield. I can understand how a person can be so centered within God that they no longer have any fear of governments, but I never thought about it being the next step beyond to get to the point that one’s life is so centered within God that they also no longer fear the church (the church as an institution and not as the body of Christ). 7 months ago