The Tears of Things

“Richard Rohr is one of the great Christian spiritual masters of our time. Of any time. He is the kind of thinker that not only changes minds and hearts, but changes lives.”—James Martin, SJ, author of Come Forth “Rohr brings to his study his long, discerning reflection, his immense pastoral sensibility, and is capacity for close reading. His book is a welcome entry point for us into an urgent biblical trajectory.”—Walter Brueggemann, author of The Prophetic Imagination “In this luminous book, Richard Rohr synthesizes action and contemplation with greater passion and courage than ever before. By retelling the stories of the biblical prophets, he calls upon us all to speak truth in our own times and to speak it with love.”—Mirabai Starr, author of Wild Mercy “In a world that can feel like a house on fire, Richard Rohr’s The Tears of Things is a much-needed roadmap to wisdom and higher—more hopeful—ground.”—Pete Holmes, comedian, host of You Made It Weird “Rohr brings the voices of the biblical prophets to life, offering a timely and transformative message about the pain and beauty of our shared humanity. This book is a beacon of light for anyone seeking solace and understanding in uncertain times.”—Kristen Powers, author of Saving Grace “Fr. Rohr has been such an inspiration to so many of us . . . Another shining gift from one of our greatest Christian teachers.”—Brian D. McLaren, author of Life After Doom “In these insightful and beautifully written reflections, Richard Rohr explores the teachings of the prophets, helping us discover how deeply God loves us in the midst of our hurtful and misguided ways.”—James Finley, psychologist and author of The Healing Path “Father Richard invites us into a relationship with sadness as the path to knowing how actively God works with us. If we stop being absorbed in our personal dramas, if we fearlessly open to the human condition, we discover the boundlessness of the human heart—compassion not only for people, but for how we continue to create our own suffering.”—Margaret Wheatley, author of Restoring Sanity “Rohr offers a path forward beyond dying religions and moribund civilizations, one that marries mysticism and prophecy. Reminding us that evil flourishes best when it is denied, he credits the prophets for having started the move from religion to spirituality that is beckoning us today. Rohr has saved his best book for the last.”—Matthew Fox, Episcopal priest and author of Original Blessing “Fr. Richard challenges us to search beneath the surface of our faith and see what is sacred in everyone and everything.”—Melinda Gates, author of The Moment of Lift “Rohr sees the Christ everywhere, and not just in people. He reminds us that the first incarnation of God is in Creation itself, and he tells us that ‘God loves things by becoming them.’ Just for that sentence, and there are so many more, I cannot put this book down.”—Bono