We’re contemplating the position of the mystic in a time of unraveling of order and subsequently a time of despair. And the way the mystic lays the groundwork for the non secular warrior or prophet in all of us. “The prophet is the mystic in motion,” noticed William Hocking.
Yesterday we thought of John of the Cross’s poem on the Darkish Night time. In one other poem, “Deep Rapture: Rimes after an ecstasy of profound contemplation,” John affords a chorus on the finish of every of 9 stanzas. That chorus is: burst the thoughts’s barrier (toda sciencia tracendiendo).
Mystical love breaks by means of the rational mind to a much bigger one, an intuitive and imaginative one that may think about what will not be but and whose ardour for justice and compassion burns and refuses to give up or yield to despair.
Jesus and the prophets name that the “kingdom of God”–a area the place justice and fact, magnificence and love rule. And the place lies, injustice, despair, greed and ugliness are banished. Or, like Dr. King’s speech, “I’ve a dream.” A dream of a beloved neighborhood. Thus, hope.
Add to this present from the mystics the definition of hope from eco- thinker David Orr: “Hope is a verb with the sleeves rolled up.” Hope and work go collectively. Our work is hope simply as our work is prayer. Hope not only for ourselves however for others as effectively. For the neighborhood.
The phrase “neighborhood” comes from the 2 Latin phrases cum and munio which implies: To do work collectively. Sharing a standard work.
“Love, it’s all I do,” stated John of the Cross. Can we are saying that too? Is all our work and expression of constructing frequent neighborhood and a beloved one that may endure as a result of it’s based on fact and justice? And never on lies and greed that feed injustice?
Work or the Through Transformativa involves the rescue to withstand and shout hazard and collect allies and communicate the reality and do the reality within the identify of compassion and justice that are, for the mystics, the very names of Divinity.
Contemplate how Julian of Norwich, whereas dwelling by means of the dreadful and fear-filled bubonic plague, but wrote from her coronary heart:
God is the goodness in nature.
God is similar factor as nature.
God is the very essence of nature.
Grace and nature are all features of a single goodness and the place one operates, all are working with us.
God will refill what’s missing and restore us with the motion of mercy and beauty, which can abundantly pour into us from Divinity’s personal pure goodness.
All issues shall be effectively, each method of factor shall be effectively.
Clearly, mystics do maintain drugs in a time of despair, simply as Elliot noticed. And awaken the “huge coronary heart”–braveness (coeur massive)–and spiritual-warrior power to do battle with forces of lies and injustice, evil or antichrist.
*The Poems of St. John of the Cross translated by John Frederick Nims, pp. 25-28.
See Matthew Fox, Julian of Norwich: Knowledge in a Time of Pandemic—and Past, pp. 22f., 101f., 96-99.
And Fox, Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior For Our Occasions.
And Fox, Trump and The MAGA Motion as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election.
And Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Remodeling Evil in Soul and Society.
And Matthew Fox, “Non secular Warriors” in Fox, The Hidden Spirituality of Males: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine, pp. 77-104.
And Fox, “Non secular Warriorhood,” in Fox, One River, Many Wells: Knowledge Springing from Religion Traditions, pp. 404-422.
And Fox, Skylar Wilson, Jen Lustig, Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Imaginative and prescient of Love and Motion.
Banner Picture: “Wells Fargo Defund Keystone XL Line 3” Lots of gathered to unfurl banners and paint an enormous road mural on the Wells Fargo World HQ, San Francisco Monetary District, April 2021. Picture by Peg Hunter on Flickr.
Queries for Contemplation
How has publicity to the mystics helped you progress past despair and to create communities that raise you up? And that conjures up your work for the frequent good?
Really helpful Studying
Julian of Norwich: Knowledge in a Time of Pandemic–and Past
Julian of Norwich lived by means of the dreadful bubonic plague that killed near 50% of Europeans. Being an anchoress, she ‘sheltered in place’ and developed a deep knowledge that she shared in her e book, Showings, which was the primary e book in English by a lady. A theologian method forward of her time, Julian develops a feminist understanding of God as mom on the coronary heart of nature’s goodness. Fox shares her teachings on this highly effective and well timed and provoking e book.
“What an totally magnificent e book. The work of Julian of Norwich, lovingly supported by the genius of Matthew Fox, is a roadmap into the center of the eco-spiritual fact that each one life breathes collectively.” –Caroline Myss
Now additionally out there as an audiobook HERE.
Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior For Our Time
Whereas Matthew Fox acknowledges that Meister Eckhart has influenced thinkers all through historical past, he additionally desires to introduce Eckhart to at the moment’s activists addressing modern crises. Towards that finish, Fox creates dialogues between Eckhart and Carl Jung, Thich Nhat Hanh, Rabbi Heschel, Black Elk, Karl Marx, Rumi, Adrienne Wealthy, Dorothee Soelle, David Korten, Anita Roddick, Lily Yeh, M.C. Richards, and plenty of others.
“Matthew Fox is probably the best author on Meister Eckhart that has ever existed. (He) has efficiently bridged a niche between Eckhart as a shamanistic character and Eckhart as a post-modern mentor to the Inter-faith motion, to disclose simply how cosmic Eckhart actually is, and the way remarkably related to at the moment’s spiritual disaster! ” — Steven Herrmann, Writer of Non secular Democracy: The Knowledge of Early American Visionaries for the Journey Ahead
Trump & The MAGA Motion as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election
Matthew Fox tells us that he had at all times shied away from utilizing the time period “Anti-Christ” as a result of it was so usually used to unfold management and worry. Nevertheless, given at the moment’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables on this e book using the archetype for the reason for justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity.
From the Foreword: If there was ever a time, a second, for inspecting the archetype of the Antichrist, it’s now…Learn this e book with an open thoughts. Good and evil are actual forces in our world. ~~ Caroline Myss, writer of Anatomy of the Spirit and Conversations with the Divine.
For quick entry to Trump & The MAGA Motion as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election, order the e-book with 10 full-color prints from Amazon HERE.
To get a print-on-demand paperback copy with black & white photographs, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE.
To obtain a limited-edition, full-color paperback copy, order from MatthewFox.org HERE.
Order the audiobook HERE for quick obtain.
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Remodeling Evil in Soul and Society
Visionary theologian and best-selling writer Matthew Fox affords a brand new theology of evil that essentially adjustments the normal notion of fine and evil and factors the best way to a extra enlightened remedy of ourselves, each other, and all of nature. In evaluating the Jap custom of the 7 chakras to the Western custom of the 7 capital sins, Fox permits us to assume creatively about our capability for private and institutional evil and what we are able to do about them.
“A scholarly masterpiece embodying a greater imaginative and prescient and depth of notion far past the grasp of anyone single science. A breath-taking evaluation.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, writer of Quantum Theology: Non secular Implications of the New Physics
The Hidden Spirituality of Males: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine
To awaken what Fox calls “the sacred masculine,” he reveals ten metaphors, or archetypes, starting from the Inexperienced Man, an historic pagan image of our basic relationship with nature, to the Non secular Warrior….These timeless archetypes can encourage males to pursue their greater calling to hook up with their deepest selves and to reinvent the world.
“Each man on this planet ought to learn this e book — to not point out each girl who desires to know the struggles, usually unconscious, that form the lads they know.” — Rabbi Michael Lerner, writer of The Left Hand of God
One River, Many Wells: Knowledge Springing from World Faiths
Matthew Fox calls on all of the world traditions for his or her knowledge and their inspiration in a piece that’s way over a listing of theological place papers however a brand new strategy to pray—to meditate in a world non secular context on the knowledge all our traditions share. Fox chooses 18 themes which can be foundational to any spirituality and demonstrates how all of the world non secular traditions provide knowledge about every.“Studying One River, Many Wells is like getting into the wealthy silence of a masterfully directed retreat. As you learn this textual content, you mirror, you pray, you embrace Divinity. Actually no phrases can totally categorical my respect and awe for this magnificent contribution to modern spirituality.” –Caroline Myss, writer of Anatomy of the Spirit
Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Imaginative and prescient of Love and Motion
By Matthew Fox, Skylar Wilson, and Jen Listug
Within the midst of worldwide hearth, earthquake and flood – as species are going extinct day-after-day and nationwide and international economies totter – the planet doesn’t want one other church or faith. What it wants is a brand new Order, grounded within the Knowledge traditions of each East and West, together with science and indigenous. An Order of the Sacred Earth united in a single sacred vow: “I promise to be the very best lover and defender of the Earth that I could be.”
Co-authored by Matthew Fox, Skylar Wilson, and Jennifer Berit Listug, with a ahead by David Korten, this assortment of essays by 21 non secular visionaries together with Brian Swimme, Mirabai Starr, Theodore Richards, and Kristal Parks marks the founding of the varied and inclusive Order of the Sacred Earth, a neighborhood now evolving world wide.
“The Order of the Sacred Earth not solely calls us residence to our true nature as Earth, but in addition affords us invaluable steering and firm on the best way.” ~~ Joanna Macy, environmental activist and writer of Energetic Hope.
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