Dietrich Koller's Enneagram Sermon on Christmas


The scene is the Enneagram sin's coming to see the Christ child in the manger. As each sin approaches, they seem to hear Jesus speaking to them. These were all taken from Dietrich Koller's Christmas sermon re-written by Richard Rohr and and Andreas Ebert in their book The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective.  The build up to the scene is quite poignant too as each sin reveals its perspective on a baby coming to save the world. Quite telling.

One: To Anger Christ says, "You're furious about God and the world, about how sloppy people are, about the arrogance of rulers and the stupidity of the ruled. And above all about your own defects. Give me your resentment. Break your rage into pieces and put them into the coal bucket, so their glow can warm the stable. I'll give you my patience. It saves the world, slowly—but surely. Have patience with yourself. And forgive your fellows their imperfect condition. Forgiveness is the only thing that changes them. Have trust. The good grows for a long time; but, even if slowly, it grows."


Two: To Pride the Christ child says, "You've made yourself irreplaceable; you've constantly rushed in to help, even where you weren't called; you've chained others to yourself. And your feelings are hurt when people don't thank you. Give your crown. Look: I'm simply there. For you. Take it as a gift. That's real humility."


Three: To Falsehood, "You're afraid to miss your mark, to fail. With your little tricks you want to make sure you won't be left standing there like a loser. But to me you're completely transparent. I also see the part in you that doesn't shine out. Give me your fear of failure."


Four: To Envy, "You have to be constantly comparing yourself, because you doubt yourself. You pity yourself, because nobody else seems to be doing it. You're the plaything of your feelings. Give me them: your emotional zeniths and nadirs, your longing for home and for faraway place. And accept my uncomplicated beauty. Be simply there."


Five: To Avarice, "Your heart was never really warmed. You always had to take care of yourself. You've hoarded possessions and knowledge in order to survive. Let yourself be warmed. Let yourself be touched."


Six: To Fear, "You mistrust God and the world and yourself. You fear the authorities. You conform so you won't attract attention. You long for security. Look at me. You can trust me. And yourself. Don't be afraid of risk. I am with you."

Seven: To Wastefulness, "Do you see how little I get along with? Do you sense the holy seriousness of this place? Give me your fear of the dark of suffering and death. Give me your compulsion to deaden yourself by consuming things. Dare to mourn your childhood pains. And I'll give you real joy, which doesn't have to shy away from the dark."


Eight: Then Violence speaks to the Christ child, saying, "I can't wait any longer. I see your powerfulness, which is absolutely incomprehensible to me. And yet you seem to have more power than I do. I give up. I bring you my incursions, my self-glorification. How many people I have run over and demolished and misused. I'm astonished at your purity. And I want to ask you about something that I've never said to anyone before: Forgive my guilt. Make me pure. I want to serve you."

Nine: Finally the child looks at sloth and says, "Look how comfortable it is here. And yet I am full of energy. I've decided to live, to dedicate myself. And I need you. You are to bring my peace to men and women, even if you pick up a few scratches in the process. You count, and I count on you. Give me your resignation and indifference. You think you are the last. You are to be the first."

Rohr, Richard and Ebert, Andreas. The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective. New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 2013.

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