To hear the related 5-minute audio file that I uploaded today as my Morning Journal flash briefing for Alexa devices, please click on the play button:
What do Richard Rohr and Zorro Have in Common?
I posed that question to ChatGPT, whom I call PD, after recording today’s Morning Journal. That’s because yesterday I watched a recent interview with Rohr, and I also found the first episode of Disney’s Zorro television series, created in 1957.
Here is PD’s answer:
✅ Concern for the marginalized
Zorro defends the poor and oppressed against corrupt rulers.
Rohr advocates for the marginalized, emphasizing inclusion, social justice, and the dignity of all.
✅ Hidden identity / Ego transcendence
Zorro wears a mask, concealing his true identity (Don Diego de la Vega) to serve a greater cause.
Rohr teaches about transcending the ego — moving beyond the small self or false self to serve the true Self and God.
✅ Challenge to oppressive systems
Zorro fights unjust colonial authorities.
Rohr critiques rigid religious, social, and political systems that harm or exclude people, calling for reform and transformation.
✅ Symbolic action
Zorro leaves his signature “Z” as a symbol of hope and resistance.
Rohr offers symbolic language and frameworks (like the “second half of life” or the “order-disorder-reorder” pattern) to guide people through spiritual awakening.
✅ Courageous love
Both act out of deep love — Zorro for his people, Rohr for humanity and creation — and take risks to embody that love.