The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox |
Watch for Matthew Fox's video meditation -- now appearing every Monday! |
Sport and Spirituality,
continued 08/13/2024 |
There is joy in watching the beauty, the excellence, the accomplishment, the bodies, the boldness, the hard work, the craft of Olympic athletes. Whether we are talking about runners, divers, swimmers, breakers, climbers, gymnasts, jumpers, soccer players, basketball players, or….beauty and excellence bring joy. Along with cheers. |
And, of course, watching excellence and beauty shared between competitors of different nations and races and watching them excel and interact brings joy. One of the absolute high points for me in these |
Making its Olympic debut in Paris is the urban dance art form called Breaking. The Olympics channel features a description. |
Games
occurred when America’s champion woman gymnast Simone Biles came in second in a contest and she and another American who came in third honored the Brazilian who came in first with a special bow at the podium. They were not only showing respect for their opponent (whom Simone bested in several other events), but demonstrating something else that is very
important: Acknowledging how important it is to lose with grace as well as to win with grace. |
Simone Biles speaks to Access Hollywood’s Scott Evans about solidarity, sportsmanship, and empowering the coming generation. | If a certain
American politician had learned this lesson some time in his life, we never would have had the January 6 debacle for which 1000+ people are now in prison and seven lives were lost, and we enter an upcoming presidential election wondering if it will be |
violent or
non-violent, and if the true winner will be allowed to lead the government. The Big Lie would never have metastasized as it has. There is Via Positiva in sport—the joy and beauty and excellence on display. The Via Negativa too—lots of focus as well as sweat and hard work. And also the moment of being still and alone and in solitude just before
the contest begins. Being vulnerable and setting oneself up to win or to lose. And learning to lose with grace and to acknowledge the excellence of others and to become inspired to work even harder. |
And the Via Creativa, learning a sport and how to be coached and how to make imaginative decisions on the spot. As I explained in yesterday’s video, sport is meditation insofar as it contributes to calming the reptilian brain. In sport we literally play with our reptilian brains and the desire |
International rivalries addressed peacefully through sport: “China becomes Team USA’s biggest Olympic rival.” NBC
News |
to
win but in a predetermined context where specific rules apply. And the Via Transformativa, going for a goal and working with others as a team if the sport is a group sport. And contributing to uniting, exciting and healing people. |
See Matthew Fox, Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet.
And Fox, Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality.
And Fox, Prayer: A Radical Response to Life (formerly, On Becoming a Musical, Mystical Bear: Spirituality American
Style).
Banner Image: Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh (second right) takes the gold as Olympic High Jump Champion, while Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers (right) receives silver and Ukrainian Iryna Gerashchenko (second left) and Australian Eleanor Patterson (left) share bronze. Ukrainian government photo on Wikimedia Commons. |
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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 experience sport as a way of meditation and calming the reptilian brain? Do you experience Joy in participating in sports whether as player or as fan? |
Creativity: Where the Divine and Human Meet
Because creativity is the key to both our genius and beauty as a species but also to our capacity for evil, we need to teach creativity and to teach ways of steering this God-like power in
directions that promote love of life (biophilia) and not love of death (necrophilia). Pushing well beyond the bounds of conventional Christian doctrine, Fox’s focus on creativity attempts nothing less than to shape a new ethic.
“Matt Fox is a pilgrim who seeks a path into the church of tomorrow. Countless numbers will be happy to follow his lead.” –Bishop John Shelby Spong, author, Rescuing
the Bible from Fundamentalism, Living in Sin |
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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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Prayer: A Radical Response to Life
How do prayer and mysticism relate to the struggle for social and ecological justice? Fox defines prayer as a radical response to life that includes our “Yes” to life (mysticism) and our “No” to forces that
combat life (prophecy). How do we define adult prayer? And how—if at all—do prayer and mysticism relate to the struggle for social and ecological justice? One of Matthew Fox’s earliest books, originally published under the title On Becoming a Musical, Mystical Bear: Spirituality American Style, Prayer introduces a mystical/prophetic spirituality and a mature conception of how to pray. Called a “classic” when it first appeared, it lays out the difference between the
creation spirituality tradition and the fall/redemption tradition that has so dominated Western theology since Augustine. A practical and theoretical book, it lays the groundwork for Fox’s later works.
“One of the finest books I have read on contemporary spirituality.” – Rabbi Sholom A. Singer |
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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 has created a narrative, for every parent, grandparent, both spiritual and
scientific, that is a gift for all elders who recognize their responsibility in initiating the young ones into the grandeur of existence." Cosmologist Brian Swimme, Author of Cosmogenesis and The Universe Story "Matthew Fox has given all of us, children included, a wondrous and enchanting view of creation
and all that humanity should aspire to." - Caroline Myss, Author of Anatomy of the Spirit and A Time for Grace |
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UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar
HERE |
MONTHLY: 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. Last Tuesday of every month, 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 Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Vision of Love and Action in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, Thursday, August 15, 4:00-5:30 pm PT.
Register HERE. |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, Thursday, September 19, 4:00-5:30 pm PT.
Register HERE. |
Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Matthew Fox speaks on "Preserving Things in the Good" at the Unity of Walnut Creek Earth Day worship service held on April 21, 2024. |
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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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