The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox |
Today's the day: Matthew Fox's video meditation is below! |
Is the
World Love as Teilhard Teaches? 04/15/2024 |
In Saturday’s meditation, I cited Teilhard de Chardin, scientist, mystic, and Jesuit priest, who said that we should add to the teaching that “God is Love” a teaching that “The World is Love.” |
Is the world Love? Is Teilhard being naïve about evil, shadow, miscommunication (the Tower of Babel story), hatred, war, injustice, racism, sexism, militarism, and human folly? Or is he on to something? As a student of evolution, he wrote this: The magic word ‘evolution’ which haunted my thoughts like a tune: which was to me like |
|
unsatisfied hunger, like a promise held out to me, like a summons to be answered. Clearly, the deep probing of evolution was a calling, a vocation, to Teilhard. It cost him a lot to pursue that “tune” and “hunger” and “promise.” For example, his teaching job
at the Institut Catholique de Paris (my alma mater); a banishment to China; and a demand not to publish any of his books in his lifetime. |
Skull fragments of Peking Man, also known as Homo erectus, on display at the Smithsonian Hall of Human Origins. Photo by Ryan Somma. Wikimedia Commons. | But he turned the exile in China into something very positive, a lemon into lemonade as they say, by making substantial contributions to the exciting archeological findings of “Peking Man.” What did he come up with in
his pursuit of the deeper meaning of evolution? That the world is love. World. Creation. Universe. Cosmos. It is all love. He is not saying what humans have made of the world is love. He is saying that the world as a whole, with all its evolutionary dynamics, is Love. Our being
invited into this 13.8-billion-year |
history with two trillion galaxies, each with hundreds of billions of stars (a fact that he did not have in his hands back then), tells a story of Love. |
We were loved into existence. Existence is rare. Life and consciousness is rare. And evolution brought it about. We are invited to respond with passion and admiration and love therefore. The world calls us to greater love. Studying and meditating on it assists us in our vocation—as individuals and as a species. |
The JWST prompts scientists to rethink our understanding of the universe. Video by PBS
NewsHour. |
What name should we give to this physio-moral energy of personalization, to which all activities displayed by the stuff of the universe are finally reduced? Only one name is possible, if we are to credit it with the generality and power that it should assume in rising to the cosmic order: Love. |
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Christian Mystics, pp. 226, 228. See also: Fox, Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth. And Fox, “The Christ of the Cosmos: Meister Eckhart Meets Teilhard de Chardin and Thomas Berry,” in Fox, Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times, pp. 15-34. And Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ.
And Fox, Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality. And Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society.
Banner image: “Peace Prevails” by RahulGarg (2020). Wikimedia Commons.
|
|
|
| | To view today's video, please click the
image. You will be taken to today's post on the Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox website, where you can see the meditation in a larger version and also view and post your Comments. In the sharing that follows, a kind of community is developing around the DM. If you can't reach today's post on the website directly, click HERE. If you can't reach Matthew's video on the website, try his Vimeo channel HERE. |
|
|
|
|
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 see the world as Love? And evolution as love? What follows from that? How are we doing? |
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. |
|
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. |
|
Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior For Our Time
While Matthew Fox recognizes that Meister Eckhart has influenced thinkers throughout history, he also wants to introduce Eckhart to today’s activists addressing contemporary crises.
Toward that end, Fox creates dialogues between Eckhart and Carl Jung, Thich Nhat Hanh, Rabbi Heschel, Black Elk, Karl Marx, Rumi, Adrienne Rich, Dorothee Soelle, David Korten, Anita Roddick, Lily Yeh, M.C. Richards, and many others.
“Matthew Fox is perhaps the greatest writer on Meister Eckhart that has ever existed. (He) has successfully bridged a gap between Eckhart as a shamanistic personality and Eckhart as a
post-modern mentor to the Inter-faith movement, to reveal just how cosmic Eckhart really is, and how remarkably relevant to today’s religious crisis! ” — Steven Herrmann, Author of
Spiritual Democracy: The Wisdom of Early American Visionaries for the Journey Forward |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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. |
|
UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar
HERE |
Join Matthew Fox as he speaks on “The Deep Feminine and the Deep Masculine and their importance in elevating consciousness and healing our world” at the The Heart of Nature 7-Day Summit with Jane Fonda, Marianne Williamson, Paul Hawken, Nina Simons and over 30 leading experts, Tuesday-Monday, April 16-22. Register HERE. |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book Sheer Joy: Conversations with Thomas Aquinas on Creation Spirituality in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, Thursday, April 18, 4:00-5:30 pm PT.
Register
HERE. Join Matthew Fox in a free online event hosted by the Shift Network: “Explore Compassion in Spirituality With Meister Eckhart’s Wisdom: Mystical Teachings for Renewal, Love & Forgiveness in Times of Turmoil.” Thursday, April 18, 5:30pm PT Register HERE. Join Matthew Fox as he speaks at a worship service and conducts a workshop to mark Earth Day 2024, hosted by Unity of Walnut Creek, CA, Sunday, April 21: 9:30am & 11:30am – Worship Service – Sermon. Earth Day, 2024: Preserving Things in the Good 1:30-3:00pm – Workshop – How the Earth Crisis of Our Time Can Move Humanity to Its Next Stage of Evolution Register HERE. Join Matthew Fox, Mariko Middleton, and Skylar Wilson of the Order of the Sacred Earth in a
free virtual meeting for connection and networking with other mystic warriors, Tuesday, April 30, 4:00-5:00pm PT.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88665302478 Meeting ID: 886 6530 2478 Learn more at www.orderofthesacredearth.org |
|
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.
|
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. |
|
Inspired by this post? Share your insights on Universeodon, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #RevDrMatthewFox and tag Matt with @RevDrMatthewFox FOLLOW MATTHEW FOX: |
|
|
|
