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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The New Creation Story, continued
Yesterday we shared the diagnosis from M. C. Richards about the “palpable disunion” and “psychic disturbance” and suicides and other maladies that occur when science and religion, psyche and cosmos, split. And I
offered a story, somewhat parallel to John’s Gospel (chapter one) of the new and sacred story from science. We continue that story here.
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The gifted planet was set as a jewel
in its most exquisite setting,
in this case, the exact distance of 100 million miles
from its mother star, the sun.
New gifts arose, never seen in such forms in the universe–
rocks, oceans, continents,
muticellular creatures that moved by their own inner power.
Life was born!
Gifts that had taken the form of fireball and helium,
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galaxies and stars, rock and water, now took the form of Life!
Life—a new gift of the universe, a new gift in the universe.
Flowers of multiple color and scent, trees standing upright,
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The Veil Nebula, 2,100 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus (the Swan), photographed by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Z. Levay. Image on NASA.gov.
| Forests arose offering places for all manner
of creeping, crawling things.
Of things that fly and sing.
Of things that swim and slither.
Of things that run on four legs.
And eventually,
of things that stand and walk on two.
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With thumbs that move to make still more creativity—
more gift making—
possible.
The human became a gift, but also a menace.
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For its powers of creativity were unique in their potential
for destruction or healing:
How would humans use these gifts?
Which direction would they choose?
The earth waited for an answer to these questions.
And is still waiting.
Trembling.
Teachers were sent, divine incarnations
birthed from the soil
| Navajo Beautyway Teachings/ Dine’ Bi Hozhoji Beh Na’nitin”: a cosmic vision received by the artist during a traditional Hozhoji healing ceremony. Image by Dine’ Navajo Wayne on Wikimedia Commons.
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Isis and Hesiod, Buddha and Lao Tzu, Moses and Isaiah,
Sarah and Esther, Jesus and Paul,
To teach the humans ways of compassion.
And still the earth waited
to see if humanity was gift or curse.
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M.C. Richards on the “fire within”, the source of our creativity. Originally posted to YouTube by Richard Kane.
| Trembling
Have you ever given a gift and then regretted it afterward?
Earth wonders and waits.
For the gift has been made flesh
and dwells everywhere among us
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and we tend to know it not.
And to treat it not as a gift
but as an object.
To be used, abused, trampled
underfoot—even crucified.
But to those who do receive it as a gift
all is promised.
All shall be called children of the gift,
sons and daughters of grace.
For all generations.
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Queries for Contemplation
Is there something in this poem that speaks to your heart and your head also? And to our times of upheaval and our times of learning about our origins and connecting to them in new
ways?
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts from the Peoples of the Earth, pp. 2-4..
Banner Image: The mystery of the cosmos. Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash.
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Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the
Earth
Fox’s spirituality weds the healing and liberation found in North American Creation Spirituality and in South American Liberation Theology. Creation Spirituality challenges readers of every religious and political persuasion to unite in a new vision through which we learn to honor the earth and the people who inhabit it as the gift of a good and just Creator.
“A watershed theological work that offers a common ground for religious seekers and activists of all stripes.” — Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice.
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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 in a 6-week virtual course on “Mystics, Mysticism and Ourselves as Mystic-Prophets,” hosted by Creation Spirituality Communities.Wednesdays, 8/24, 8/31, 9/7,
9/14, 9/21, and 9/28, 4:00pm-6:00pm PT. To register: https://cscommunities.org/class-offerings-2/
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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