The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox |
Week of
11/13-18/2023:
Coming Together with Compassion
for Our Common Survival 11/19/2023 |
November 13, 2023: A Big Lesson from Iceland on Moving Beyond
War
Matthew’s brother is married to an Icelandic artist. As the entire town of Grindavik was evacuated, his brother wrote something that especially moved Matthew: The one thing that is absolutely sure is that at a time like this, all Icelanders get together and open themselves to each other, offering places to stay and food for collection sites. As Anna says, the normal bickering of all about
anything is stopped at a time like this, and all are pulling for all. How can we stop the bickering and the wars on this planet? Could climate change be the emergency that brings us all together? |
An explanation of the sudden acceleration of geologic activity under Iceland. Video by GeologyHub. |
November 14, 2023: From Bickering and War to Common Work and Common
Survival
What gets humans to put aside our agendas, and the bickering that goes with them, and to work together on a common project? The word “community” comes from cum-munio in Latin. Can humanity become a single community? Matthew recalls when he was in his first semester of college in Iowa and a huge storm caused the river to rise quickly. All other projects and any
perceived differences were put aside as people of all ages and walks of life worked together to fill sandbags and save the town. Survival trumps all. November 15, 2023: Cataclysms and Rediscovering Life, Nature, and Creation
As we explore how we can come together over a common cause and cease our constant fighting, we recall the words of French playwright Antonin
Artaud, who said: “It is right that from time to time cataclysms occur which compel us to return to nature, i.e., to rediscover life.” Creation spirituality is all about rediscovering life. Nature. Cosmos. Will extinction staring us in the face cause us to pull together and remember the importance of Life? |
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow.” Poppies growing in the WWI battlefields of Flanders, Belgium, where a million soldiers from more than 50 different countries were wounded, missing or killed in action. Photo by Tijl
Vercaemer from Gent, Flanders, on Wikimedia Commons. |
November 16, 2023: Keeping–and Not Keeping–the People Informed about Mother Earth
Matthew reminds us that to rediscover life means to not take it for
granted. Not the Earth. Not our relations with all other creatures with whom we are utterly interdependent and all other humans with whom, whether we agree with them or not, we need to co-survive. Expert geologists are doing a great job of keeping Icelanders informed of the status of the potential volcanic explosion. But is the media in America keeping us informed of what is coming next to Mother Earth with regard to climate change? It seems creation spirituality is demanded of all
citizens today–including all journalists, news broadcasters and hosts of presidential debates, who last week did not ask a single question of the candidates about climate change. November 17, 2023: Replacing Dualism & War with Non-dualism, Interdependence, Compassion
Dualism is the basis of all war. Subject/object and either/or thinking are necessary for carrying on
wars. Calling the other "vermin" for example. On the other hand, non-dualism is evident among the mystics and in today's science naming interdependence as a basic law (habit) of nature. Isn’t interdependence at the heart of ecological awareness as well as the very ground of compassion? Hildegard of Bingen said: Everything that is in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth is penetrated with connectedness, penetrated with relatedness. How can we
nourish this beautiful non-dualistic approach to life? |
“Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Dove of the Holy Spirit (alabaster stained glass,
Chair of Saint Peter, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City), ca. 1660.” Wikimedia
Commons |
November 18, 2023: The Mystics on Justice, the Holy Spirit, & Compassion
In the prophetic tradition of Israel, justice and compassion go together. “Compassion means justice,”
Eckhart reminds us. And Mechtild of Magdeburg said: Justice demands that we seek and find the stranger, the broken, the prisoner, and comfort them and offer them our help. Here lies the holy compassion of God. Compassion is also the work of the Holy Spirit. From Mechtild: The Holy Spirit is a compassionate outpouring of the Creator and the Son. This is why when we on earth pour out compassion and mercy from the depths of our hearts and give to the poor and dedicate our bodies
to the service of the broken, to that extent do we resemble the Holy Spirit. |
Banner Image: “Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Dove
of the Holy Spirit (alabaster stained glass, Chair of Saint Peter, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City), ca. 1660.” Wikimedia Commons |
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A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice In A Spirituality Named Compassion, Matthew Fox delivers a profound exploration of the meaning and practice of compassion. Establishing a spirituality for the future that promises personal, social, and global healing, Fox marries mysticism with social justice, leading the way toward a gentler and more ecological spirituality and an acceptance of our
interdependence which is the substratum of all compassionate activity.
“Well worth our deepest consideration…Puts compassion into its proper focus after centuries of neglect.” –The Catholic Register |
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Christian Mystics: 365 Readings & Meditations
As Matthew Fox notes, when an aging Albert Einstein was asked if he had any regrets, he
replied, “I wish I had read more of the mystics earlier in my life.” The 365 writings in Christian Mystics represent a wide-ranging sampling of these readings for modern-day seekers of all faiths — or no faith. The visionaries quoted range from Julian of Norwich to Martin Luther King, Jr., from Thomas Merton to Dorothee Soelle and Thomas Berry.
“Our world is in crisis, and we need road maps that can
ground us in wisdom, inspire us to action, and help us gather our talents in service of compassion and justice. This revolutionary book does just that. Matthew Fox takes some of the most profound spiritual teachings of the West and translates them into practical daily mediations. Study and practice these teachings. Take what’s in this book and teach it to the youth because the new generation cannot afford to suffer the spirit and ethical illiteracy of the past.” —
Adam Bucko, spiritual activist and co-founder of the Reciprocity Foundation for Homeless Youth. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar HERE |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book
“Confessions: The Making of a Post-Denominational Priest ” in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat.Thursday, January 18, 4:00-6:00 pm PT Register HERE |
Join Matthew Fox as he lectures on “What the Mystics Tell Us About Dying “ at the Conference on Death, Grief and Belief, “Emerging Spiritualities: Death and Bereavement Across the Spiritual Spectrum,” Saturday, January 20, 9:00am – 5:00pm PT Register HERE |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book
“The Lotus & The Rose” in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat. Thursday, February 15, 4:00-6:00 pm 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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