The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox |
Our Divine Nobility,
Justice,
and Compassion 11/09/2023 |
In her doctoral thesis on the theme of “Royal Personhood,” Helen Kenik points out that in Judaism, “the ideal of kingship was seldom realized”* and that kingship was often negative and pessimistic. But its ideal or aspiration was there;
and with it, a hope that a king with true nobility would one day reign. |
Isaiah spoke to that hope: A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him….
Not by appearance shall he judge,
not by hearsay shall he decide.
But he shall judge the poor with
justice
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. |
One of the flawed and human kings of Israel: “The Judgment of Solomon,” Castelli, 18th century, Lille Museum of Fine Arts. Wikiwand. |
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band
around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
(Is 11: 1-5.) |
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this is what the messianic tradition represents, “the ideal of kingship furnished the content for the messianic tradition.” Thus, Luke’s Gospel says that Jesus
came to bring glad tidings to the poor;
to proclaim liberty to the
captives,
recovery of sight to the blind
and release to prisoners.
(Lk 4: 18). It is all peoples, not just Jesus, who are called to heal the sick and bring |
glad tidings to the poor. All are called to be prophets or messiahs. We are all “other Christs,” “other Buddhas,” other “images of God,” sons and daughters of God after all. Being royal persons means we are to be agents of compassion. |
Eckhart reminds us that “compassion means justice." Justice ensures order and balance in the whole of creation, while injustice brings about chaos and undoes all of creation. The prophets and psalmists connect Yahweh as Creator, King and Justice-maker. |
Chandler Moore sings a meditation on the “I Am” verses in Isaiah at a live recording in Atlanta, 2020. TRIBL |
Isaiah says, “I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your king.” (Is. 43:15) The divine nobility
expresses and incarnates itself as compassion and justice-making. How are we doing? |
* Adapted from Helen Kenik, “Toward a Biblical Basis for Creation Theology,” in Matthew Fox, ed., Western Spirituality: Historical Roots, Ecumenical Routes, pp. 27-75;
and Fox, Original Blessing, pp. 93-102.
Banner Image: A living
sprout springs forth from a dry stump. Photo by qinghill on Unsplash |
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Queries for Contemplation How is humanity today, how are we today, doing in expressing our divine nobility by way of compassion and justice? What is holding us back? |
Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, please click HERE
to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
Western Spirituality: Historical Roots, Ecumenical Routes In this book, Fox gathers scholars from various cultures and traditions such as Helen Kenik, Jon Sobrino, Nicolas Berdyaev, Rosemary Ruether, M. D. Chenu, Mary Jose Hobday, Ronald Miller, Monika Hellwig, James Kenney, Justin O’Brien and others to approach creation spirituality from many traditions and many angles.
“An exciting and important book…a pleasant alternative to the oppressive burden of the fall/redemption tradition.” ~ New Review of Books and Religion |
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Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality
Matthew Fox lays out a whole new direction for Christianity—a direction that is in fact very ancient and very grounded in Jewish thinking (the
fact that Jesus was a Jew is often neglected by Christian theology): the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality, the Vias Positiva, Negativa, Creativa and Transformativa in an extended and deeply developed way.
“Original Blessing makes available to the Christian world and to the human community a radical cure for all dark and derogatory views of the natural world wherever these may have originated.”
–Thomas Berry, author, The Dream of the Earth; The Great Work; co-author, The Universe Story
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UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar HERE |
Join Matthew Fox as he delivers a Lecture and Q&A: “Towards a New Mythology: New & Ancient Names for God from Mystical Ancestors and Contemporary Science (& Fit for Some Atheists too)” as part of the Unitarian Universalist of Berkeley Lawrence Lecture Series. Friday, November 10, 2023, 7:00pm-8:30pm PT. Register HERE. |
Join Matthew Fox online as he offers a lecture and Q&A on “Peacemaking and Creation Spirituality Today” hosted by The Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus. November 11, 11:00am PT. Register HERE. |
Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Hunger for Wholeness: What is Wholeness in the Midst of Crisis with Matthew Fox (Part 1) In the midst
of increased violence between Israel and Palestine, Ilia Delio and theologian Matthew Fox discuss the state of the world today and how to have courage in Part 1 of their conversation. Ilia and Matt discuss his mentor, Marie Dominique Chenu, the influence of liberation theology on social justice in the church today, and what can still be learned.
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Inspired by this post? Share your insights on Universeodon, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #RevDrMatthewFox and tag Matt with @RevDrMatthewFox FOLLOW MATTHEW FOX: |
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