The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers
Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox
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“Spark of the Soul” in Jewish Mystical Teachings, continued
When things came into being as mineral, vegetable, animal, or human, "some of the sparks remained hidden within the varieties of existence." The Zohar has been called a "mystical novel of the Torah," and
interprets the creation story by the Elohim author of Genesis:
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"In the Beginning" meant that "a blinding spark dashed within the Concealed of the Concealed from the mystery of the Infinite.
Yes, we are to touch the “Mystery of the Infinite” and spread the sparks, for nature is busy spreading them from north to east and west to south, in the heavens and on the earth.
| Sunset Radiance, Hřensko, Děčín 2, Ústí nad Labem Region, Czechia. Photo by Artem Sapegin on Unsplash
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Sparks burst into flashes, up high and down below
sparks burst into flash and rose high above.
The heavens blazed with all their powers;
everything flashed and sparkled as one.
Previously we have meditated on the language of “spark in the soul” in Eckhart and other Christian mystics. (Consider John of the Cross who, in his famous poem on the “Dark Night,” tells us he was saved by the darkness on the outside and by “the fire, the fire inside” that could not be quenched and gave him the courage to escape his
imprisonment.)
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Loreena McKennitt sings St. John of the Cross’ timeless poem on the Dark Night of the Soul.
| Yesterday, July 4th, we meditated on the “sparks” found in all creation
according to Jewish mysticism. They are like lead-ins to Wisdom we were told.
And it is our responsibility to bring heaven and Earth, cosmos, and psyche, together, the Zohar teaches us:
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...in order to “raise those sparks hidden throughout the world, elevating them to holiness by the power of your soul.”
Our minds and creativity are to unveil the hidden sparks of the world, for they lie hidden everywhere. They are in our hearts, for “love and sparks from the flame of your heart will escort you.” They are present in all things as “sparks of holiness” that “intermingle with everything in the world, even inanimate objects.”
They come to us in all manner of our activities, even
…by eating, you bring forth sparks that cleave to your soul…. When you eat and drink, you experience enjoyment and pleasure from the food and drink. Arouse yourself every moment to ask in wonder, ‘What is the enjoyment and pleasure? What is it that I am tasting? Answer yourself, ‘This is nothing but the holy sparks from the sublime, holy worlds that are within
the food and drink.
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The Kabbalah tells us that “there is no greater path than” to bring sparks alive in life, to educe the spark that lies within. Ordinary things become extraordinary. The profane becomes sacred:
When you desire to eat or drink, or to fulfill other worldly desires, and you focus your awareness on the love of God, then you elevate that physical desire to spiritual desire. Thereby you draw out the holy spark that dwells within. You bring forth holy sparks from the natural world.
| “Song of Solomon“ Study H, a 1923 work of the German artist Egon Tschirch. Wikimedia Commons.
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There is no path greater than this. For wherever you go and whatever you do–even mundane activities–you serve God.
This is also what Eckhart teaches: those who learn to let go and thus experience the divine are always in the right place no matter where they are.
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Queries for Contemplation
What does it mean to you to hear that we bring forth holy sparks from the natural world? And that “there is no path greater than this” and that “wherever you go and whatever you
do–even mundane activities–you serve God.”
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times, pp. 193-195.
Banner Image: The dried fruits of the Tu B’Shavat Seder symbolize the Divine in the humblest representations of the four elements: Assiyah (earth) by fruits or nuts with an outer shell; Yetzirah (water) by fruits with pits; Briyah (air) by fruit that is entirely edible; Atzilut (fire) by aromatic things such as resins or spices. Credit: Gilabrand via Wikimedia Commons.
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Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior For Our Time
While Matthew Fox recognizes that Meister Eckhart has influenced thinkers throughout history, he also wants to introduce Eckhart to today’s activists addressing contemporary crises. Toward that end, Fox creates dialogues between Eckhart and Carl Jung, Thich Nhat Hanh, Rabbi Heschel, Black Elk, Karl Marx, Rumi, Adrienne Rich, Dorothee Soelle, David Korten, Anita Roddick, Lily Yeh, M.C.
Richards, and many others.
“Matthew Fox is perhaps the greatest writer on Meister Eckhart that has ever existed. (He) has successfully bridged a gap between Eckhart as a shamanistic personality and Eckhart as a post-modern mentor to the Inter-faith movement, to reveal just how cosmic Eckhart really is, and how remarkably relevant to today’s religious crisis! ” — Steven Herrmann, Author
of Spiritual Democracy: The Wisdom of Early American Visionaries for the Journey Forward
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Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, please click HERE
to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field.
See Matthew Fox's full calendar HERE
Join Matthew Fox at the monthly Our Lady of the Prairie Virtual Retreat with a discussion of The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times. Thursday, July 14, 4:00pm-6:00pm PT (GMT/UTC-7)
Register HERE
Join Matthew Fox for the monthly Our Lady of the Prairie virtual retreat, discussing One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths. Thursday, August 18, 4:00-6:00pm PT. Learn more HERE.
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Creation Spirituality in Conversation.
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Victor Fuhrman of Destination Unlimited on OMTimes interviews Matthew Fox on Essential Writings on Creation Spirituality. Navigate to the podcast page by clicking the image on the left.
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Announcing Matthew Fox's Newest Book!
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Matthew Fox: Essential Writings on Creation Spirituality
Selected with an introduction by Charles Burack
“This collection of Fox’s most life-giving insights blesses the connection between caring for our Mother-the-Earth and lifting up marginalized voices, between waking up from the dream of separation and stepping up to mend the net of creation.”
—Mirabai Starr, author, God of Love and Wild Mercy
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