The Tears of Things: Living Prophetically in an Age of Outrage with Richard Rohr

About this sermon

Today, Jen and Amy sit down with a treasured friend of the show, Franciscan priest and truth-teller, Father Richard Rohr. A guiding voice through seasons of joy, grief, and awakening, Father Rohr returns to help us process the anger, despair, and heartbreak of living in such an unjust and divided world. Together, they reflect on how to stay soft and soulful in an age of outrage, how to practice non-violent resistance with strategic intention, and why tapping into the wisdom of the prophets might be the very lifeline we need right now. With compassion and clarity, Father Rohr speaks to: • How to live compassionately amidst violence and despair • What it means to "lament" in a biblical and universal sense • Where hope can be found in an illogical world • How non-violent resistance is our moral calling today • What’s still giving him hope—and what might give us the same This conversation is tender, necessary, and soul-level grounding. Bring your heart. Bring your questions. And prepare to feel a little more human—and a little more hopeful—by the end. Guest Bio: Father Richard Rohr is a Franciscan priest, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, and one of the most beloved spiritual teachers of our time. His many bestselling books include Falling Upward, The Universal Christ, and his latest, The Tears of Things, which draws from the Hebrew prophets to call us into deeper awareness, grief, and sacred resistance. Thought-Provoking Quotes: “You know that the book of Lamentations was included in the Bible and it’s very telling that it's not lamenting any single war or single death. It's about universal sadness, giving us permission for a universal lament for the tragic sense of life.” — Fr. Richard Rohr “We have to dig deep for hope. There isn't a logical basis for it today. But I do find it in nature.” — Fr. Richard Rohr “Tears put us in touch with the soul and that’s their great gift.” — Fr. Richard Rohr “Trust the excluded ones. Trust the little people. Jesus told us that. They will be much closer to the inside of the gospel than anybody who's easily holding power or position.” — Fr. Richard Rohr “You're ping ponging back and forth between rage and lament. And it's hard to find your center. And then the next day it's something different. It is a daily onslaught right now. It's so overwhelming.” — Amy Hardin Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer by Fr. Richard Rohr - https://amzn.to/4iaaBU0 Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Fr. Richard Rohr - https://amzn.to/4jrgkpy The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe by Fr. Richard Rohr - https://amzn.to/44ruxhU The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage by Fr. Richard Rohr - https://amzn.to/3XUyPKP Live Yourself Into a New Way of Thinking: Richard Rohr - https://jenhatmaker.com/podcasts/series-16/live-yourself-into-a-new-way-of-thinking-richard-rohr/ Enneagram Ones – The Reformers with Father Richard Rohr - https://jenhatmaker.com/podcasts/series-27/enneagram-ones-the-reformers-with-father-richard-rohr/ Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer by Fr. Richard Rohr - https://amzn.to/3Edg7Yi Center for Contemplation and Action - https://cac.org/ Guest’s Links: Website - https://cac.org/ Twitter - https://x.com/RichardRohrOFM Connect with Jen! Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.