The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers |
Moving Beyond Fear 05/24/2023 |
We spoke yesterday about how sometimes we choose fear. Why would anyone choose fear over love? Sometimes, to make money. Big money and big
power. |
Riling up fear and hatred can appeal to a lot of people who have not learned to love themselves very well and whole corporations can choose to sell fear and arouse fear to get
rich. Fear sells. Unfortunately. | |
Looking for the causes behind fear, Aquinas offers us insight when he observes that “all fear arises from love because no one fears anything except what is contrary to something he or she
loves.” Fear can sometimes give us a clue to what deep down we love but feel inadequate for the task of loving. |
| The cure for the wrong kind of fear is courage (a “big heart” in French) or fortitude. Strength stands up to fear and sees one’s way through it. Indeed, Aquinas believes that “fear is repugnant to a magnanimous (or big-souled) person.” |
Fear, because it comes from the heart and can loom so large in our worldview, is a direct enemy of compassion. Aquinas says, “Those who are in great fear… are so intent on their own passion that
they pay no attention to the suffering of others.” Fear can destroy our capacity for caring and compassion. It follows that moving beyond fear can open floodgates of compassion. Ignoring the suffering of others is a
way of denying one’s own humanity—it is part of all sadism and was intrinsic to the modus operandi of fascist powers in the last century. It still is. |
The Biblical tradition has always attacked fear as an enemy of the spirit. Rabbi Heschel says that the prophet “casts out fear,” and the historical Jesus talks more than once about “fearing not” and observing the sparrows and others who survive quite handsomely without great fear. | Wilmington Chester Mass Choir sings “Fear Not”. Video by Tony L. Fisher. |
The epistle of John says that “love drives out fear.” Love does drive out fear. All these teachings are proposing that love and trust are the cure for fear. Joanna Macy says, “Have confidence in the Buddha nature in all things.” She teaches that realizing the Buddha nature (or Cosmic Christ) in every being—including indwelling in ourselves–is
the way to sustain ourselves when fear arises. The Holy Spirit, Aquinas teaches, is what makes people strong. |
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society, pp. 296ff. Banner Image: “Divest from Fossil Cruel NOW” Paramilitary employees of North Dakota and Energy Transfer Partners fire tear gas upon unarmed water protectors in the freezing Cannonball River as they resisted the Dakota Access Pipeline in Standing Rock, ND, 2016. Photo by Alane Golden on Flickr. |
Queries for Contemplation Is it your experience that “those who are in great fear… are so intent on their own passion that they pay no attention to the suffering of others?” How to create a culture where fear plays a lesser role than it does currently? |
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Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul
and Society Visionary theologian and best-selling author Matthew Fox offers a new theology of evil that fundamentally changes the traditional perception of good and evil and points the way to a more enlightened treatment of
ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In comparing the Eastern tradition of the 7 chakras to the Western tradition of the 7 capital sins, Fox allows us to think creatively about our capacity for personal and institutional evil and what we can do about them.
“A scholarly masterpiece embodying a better vision and depth of perception far beyond the grasp of any one single science. A breath-taking analysis.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of
Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics | |
See Matthew Fox's full calendar
HERE |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses “The A.W.E. Project – Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human” in an online Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, Thursday, June 15, 4:00-6:00 pm
PT. Register HERE. Join Matthew Fox for a Cosmic Mass and Panel Forum at the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions - A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom & Human Rights, August
14-18 in Chicago, IL Wed., 8/16, 7:00pm CT - The Cosmic Mass - Honoring Gaia, Solidarity for Our Earth Thurs., 8/17, 1:00pm CT – Panel and Response to The Cosmic
Mass Register here: https://parliamentofreligions.org/ |
Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Tikkun Magazine releases a new Interview of Matthew Fox by Andrew Harvey regarding Matthew Fox: Essential Writings on Creation Spirituality (Orbis, 2022) edited by Charles Burack. Read the interview HERE. | |
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