In his book, Eager to Love (I am only part way through, but this is fast becoming my number one book of the year), Richard Rohr explores what he refers to as ‘beautiful morality’ in the lives of St Francis and St Clare. In contrast to much of the religiosity of their day (and ours) he sees in Francis and Clare a new self and a new way of living:
The self they became was humanly believable and beautiful, and that also made their moral choices trustworthy and true.
(p63)
Rohr goes on to describe what this beautiful morality looks like:
The result of contemplative sight is what I would like to call “beautiful” morality, and that lack of it is why so many of us dislike and mistrust so many supposedly “moral” people… To do a highly moral thing, such as caring for the earth, but with the wrong energy (in an angry, pushy, or know-it-all way), is a kind of ugly morality and not the “aroma” and “incense” of Christ… It is formally right, but somehow terribly wrong, and we sense it. Perhaps that is why so many religious and formally moral people do not seem attractive or happy to us.
To do a moral or virtuous thing, however, with the right energy is what I would call beautiful morality…
Francis and Clare exemplify a truly beautiful morality, so much so in fact that it hardly feels like morality at all, but just a full and fresh humanity!
Beautiful morality even shines forth when someone does an imperfect thing (as almost all actions are), but the energy of the person is filled with love for others.
(p63-64)
So what does this beautiful morality look like? Rohr offers some suggestions to which I would like to tentatively add:
To exercise beautiful morality, I
- Live and act out of a deep sense of knowing that I am loved;
- Stick courageously to what I believe to be true and right;
- Am open to the possibility that I may be wrong;
- Live out what I believe, rather than talk about it;
- Respect others, regardless of their differences;
- Look for the beauty and goodness in others;
- Encourage others to discover their own belovedness and live out of that;
- Don’t seek to impose my morality on others;
- Seek justice through speaking out for and acting with those who are oppressed or vulnerable;
- Receive with grace the blessings that others offer to me.
Can I get there? I don’t know, but I want to try.