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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Gratitude for Youth Protest on Campuses
in a Time of Moral Crisis 05/07/2024 |
Having come of age in the time of protests that were happening in Europe and North America in the 1960s against the Viet Nam war and ossified education, it is a sign of hope to see so many students today protesting the horrors of the war in Gaza. |
Being a student in Paris and Munster, Germany in those years, I participated in non-violent marches and protests in both cities and witnessed the take-down of de Gaulle’s government in 1968, due in large part to protests by the youth. The youth often have
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As police remove U.S. student encampments and protests spread on campuses worldwide, faculty defend the University of Chicago encampment after student/administration talks were suspended. CBS Chicago |
clearer insight about public morals than do those adults profiting from the status quo. It is good to see moral outrage and a certain moral clarity among the younger generation protesting today. The issue is much more than simply “the right to protest,” as President Biden talked about
recently. The issue is about our government’s unabated financing of genocide in Gaza, as well as the failure of academia to teach and stand up for values that transcend self-interests of their institutions. Presidents of colleges, coached by legal teams, appeared before Congress and embarrassed themselves time and again because their
answers to congressional attacks played safe and lacked any moral urgency. |
Senator Bernie Sanders (D.,VT) delivers an impassioned plea to Congress in support of the student protestors and against
funding for the Israeli bombardment. | The issue at hand is about justice, which is the only basis for a real
peace. To call all objections to Netanyahu and his decision-making “antisemitism” is absurd and a distraction. Not when his decisions have already killed over 34,000 |
human beings, including 14,000 children, and smashed a city to smithereens. Many Jews and many rabbis I know are vehemently opposed to the genocide going on in Gaza. To be opposed to the state of Israel’s decision-making is not antisemitism. It is what democracy is all about. It
is why hundreds of thousands of Israelis marched previous to Oct 7, objecting to Netanyahu’s effort to destroy their Supreme Court to avoid going to prison. |
Sadly, to allow the current slaughter to continue will feed more antisemitism and rage in the Middle East for generations to come. Where will the exiled Palestinians live when and if the war ceases? Who will rebuild the flattened cities, and how? Not to mention the decimated lives? |
Channel 4 News reporters trace the government-supported, forcible incursion of Israeli settlers taking Palestinian farms on the
West Bank before and during the Gaza war. |
October 7 was a horrendous day but if Netanyahu had done his job and been better prepared, it would not have succeeded. The loss of 1,250 Jewish lives is not cleansed by the loss of 34,000 Palestinian lives. |
See Matthew Fox, “Honoring the Child Within—Youth and the Cosmic Christ,” in Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance, pp. 180-199.
And Fox, “The Paris Years: A Culture in Revolution—1967-1970,” in Fox, Confessions: The Making of a Post-denominational Priest, pp. 70-98.
And Fox, The A.W.E. Project: Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human.
Banner Image: Student encampment and protest for Gaza and Palestine at George Washington University on April 26, 2024. Photo by Teaching for Change on Flickr. |
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Responses are welcomed. To add
your comment, or read other comments and enter into dialog, please click HERE to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
Queries for Contemplation |
Do you agree that the student protests are a sign of hope and youth speaking truth to institutional academic power and political powers that are often oblivious to ethics and morality and justice? |
The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance
In what may be considered the most comprehensive outline of the Christian
paradigm shift of our Age, Matthew Fox eloquently foreshadows the manner in which the spirit of Christ resurrects in terms of the return to an earth-based mysticism, the expression of creativity, mystical sexuality, the respect due the young, the rebirth of effective forms of worship—all of these mirroring the ongoing blessings of Mother Earth and the recovery of Eros, the feminine aspect of the Divine.
“The eighth
wonder of the world…convincing proof that our Western religious tradition does indeed have the depth of imagination to reinvent its faith.” — Brian Swimme, author of The Universe Story and Journey of the Universe. |
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Confessions: The Making of a Post-Denominational Priest (Revised/Updated Edition)
Matthew Fox’s stirring
autobiography, Confessions, reveals his personal, intellectual, and spiritual journey from altar boy, to Dominican priest, to his eventual break with the Vatican. Five new chapters in this revised and updated edition bring added perspective in light of the author’s continued journey, and his reflections on the current changes taking place in church, society and the environment.
“The unfolding story of
this irrepressible spiritual revolutionary enlivens the mind and emboldens the heart — must reading for anyone interested in courage, creativity, and the future of religion.”
—Joanna Macy, author of World as Lover, World as Self
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The A.W.E. Project: Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human
The A.W.E. Project reminds us that awe is the appropriate response to the unfathomable wonder that is creation… A.W.E. is also the acronym for Fox’s proposed style of
learning – an approach to balance the three R’s. This approach to learning, eldering, and mentoring is intelligent enough to honor the teachings of the Ancestors, to nurture Wisdom in addition to imparting knowledge, and to Educate through Fox’s 10 C’s. The 10 C’s are the core of the A.W.E. philosophy and process of education, and include: compassion, contemplation, and creativity. The A.W.E. Project does for the vast subject of “learning” what Fox’s Reinvention of Work did for vocation
and Original Blessing did for theology. Included in the book is a dvd of the 10 C’s put to 10 video raps created and performed by Professor Pitt.
“An awe-based vision of educational renewal.” — Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice.
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In the Beginning There Was Joy: A Cosmic Celebration for Kids of All Ages
The first book in the Father Fox’s Fantastical Fables series tells the story of the big bang and how humans fit into the awesome, fantastical,
cosmic picture! With artwork curated from illustrators around the world, this book expresses the joy and wonder of all peoples and cultures, planting seeds of respect, cooperation and hope to work together for the healing of our planet. "Matthew Fox does it again, here for our young ones, who so need a positive, cosmic vision
to thrive, or even survive, in a sad time." - Father Richard Rohr, Author of The Universal Christ "Matthew Fox offers a resounding affirmation of what our souls have always suspected: we are made for joy." - Mirabai Starr, Author of God of Love and Wild Mercy Receive a 20% discount when you buy this and one other book from Matthew Fox’s store! Use Promo Code 20% at checkout. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar
HERE |
Join Matthew Fox in a new, live, 7-week video course hosted by the Shift Network, Cultivating Compassion in Spirituality: What Meister Eckhart & Other World Mystics Can Teach Us About Navigating Collective Turmoil. Tuesdays, May 7 – June 25, 5:00pm - 6:30pm PT. Register HERE. |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book with scientist Rupert Sheldrake, Natural Grace: Dialogues on Creation, Darkness and the Soul in Spirituality and Science in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, Thursday, May 16, 4:00-5:30 pm PT.
Register HERE. |
Join keynote speakers Matthew Fox and Brian Swimme at the 2024 Creation Spirituality Communities Gathering on “Reimagining Our Story, Hope for Humanity,” live at Cape Cod, MA and by livestream. Friday, May 31 – Sunday, June 2. Learn more and register HERE. |
Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Ilia Delio and theologian Matthew Fox pick up on their conversation about the viability of contemporary religious institutions in an evolutionary world. They discuss death and resurrection—the enduring challenge of modern approaches to the subject and what we can learn from mystics, past generations and ancient peoples alike. To listen, click HERE. |
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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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