The Creation
Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox |
The Order of the Sacred
Earth By Gianluigi Gugliermetto 9/20/2025 |
I have insisted already that those who feel called to resist nonviolently the violent and dehumanizing socio-political atmosphere of today, which is both epitomized and instigated by Donald Trump, need to find their tribe. It is simply impossible to engage in such resistance alone and survive. |
The Order of the Sacred Earth, born of one of Matthew Fox’s dreams and led by his two co-founders, Skylar Wilson and Jennifer Listug, offers such a possibility. To become a
member of the OSE, one has to utter only one vow: |
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I promise to be the best lover and the best defender of the Earth that I can be. It’s a simple vow, just as it is tremendously serious. Its origins are easily traced to the coupled mystic and prophet, constituting the nucleus of the kind of personality that Creation Spirituality intends to foster in the world. Lovers who are not sentimental, and fighters who are not violent, or rather nonviolent to their core.
Easy to say. But a lot changes when one gets
ready to utter a vow. As all premodern cultures knew well, uttering a vow before the divinity implies engaging all your being. There is no coming back from a vow. Stories about people being struck down by God because they disobeyed their vows hit modern people as cruel and bizarre, but in fact, they underline that when you
take a vow in complete freedom and awareness, you become one thing with the vow itself, and betraying such a vow equals betraying yourself. |
A lifelong promise: an elder couple renews their marriage vows on their 60th wedding anniversary, led by their son. Photo by Ginny Baker, on Flickr. | A vow can be pronounced — I believe — only after you have felt the call to be that kind of person that the vow describes. You cannot simply choose this or that vow, as you do in a grocery store. You ought to be called, and your vow is your “yes” response. In everyday life, then, your vow becomes a powerful tool. |
It allows
you to focus on what really matters. In time, you become less distracted and less prone to wasting your time. And meeting regularly with other people who have uttered the same vow can be extremely valuable. For the past several years, the Order of the Sacred Earth has held monthly online meetings for its members. In a recent conversation, Skylar told me that the most important function of such meetings, at this time, is that of “container of the grief” that participants feel about the present situation. But people
also share their stories of resistance and success, which are just as helpful. |
The archetype of the lover/fighter calls to be embodied today by as many people as possible, as this is the only path to wholeness for human society. It seems to me that OSE can represent a haven to many such people today, but especially to those of us who — for any reason — do not have a local group they can meet regularly in person. I am convinced that, even though the OSE began a few years ago, it is now that it can reveal its full potential. Among the praises it received at the time of its founding, I would like to underline the following. |
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Richard
Rohr: We cannot stand isolated and expect to make any real difference. Joanna Macy: The OSE offers us invaluable guidance and company on the way. Andrew Harvey: A magnificent step forward for humanity! The appeal printed on the back cover of the OSE book is also very telling: We can become part of
something larger than ourselves and our combative histories — part of something that is alive, vital, nourishing, and a return to community.
You can find more about the Order of the Sacred Earth on their website: www.orderofthesacredearth.org Banner Image: Guided by a vow: People’s Climate March 2017 in Washington DC. Ordained members of the Earth Holder Sangha wearing brown robes carry a banner and practice mindful walking on the sidewalk near Senate Park. Wikimedia Commons. |
Queries for Contemplation How do you feel about making a vow? Have you done anything like that as part of your spiritual
practice? |
Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, or read other comments and enter into dialogue, please click HERE to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar HERE |
Join Matthew Fox and 40 other wisdom teachers in the 2025 Contemplative Summit as they explore The Spacious Heart: Holding Suffering with Love, the theme of Spiritual Wanderlust: The 2025 Contemplative Summit. Thursday - Sunday, September 25-28. Register for free HERE. |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book, Meditations with Meister Eckhart in an online Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat. Thursday, October 16, 4:00pm-5:30pm PT. Register HERE. |
Join spiritual pioneers Dr. Matthew Fox and Rev. Cameron Trimble for “In Search of a New Story: Reimagining What Comes Next,” a timely and transformative 4-part series featuring conversations with some of the most compelling wisdom voices of our time: Carolyn Myss, Diana Butler Bass, Luther Smith, and Ilia Delio. Thursdays, October 23, 30, and November 13, 20, 4:00pm-5:30pm PT Register HERE. |
Join Matthew Fox in a new 6-month program of mystical wisdom for a new world.
In this 6-month immersion program with Matthew, you’ll explore what it means to be a modern mystic and prophet, integrating this sacred knowledge into your life through the authentic teachings of Jesus and other wisdom keepers. This journey births what Matthew calls Christianity 2.0 — based not on dogma, but on a spirituality that recovers the sacred sense of original goodness. By Application only - apply HERERegister for a free information session HERE |
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MONTHLY: Join Matthew Fox 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 HERE, Meeting ID: 886 6530 2478 Learn more at www.orderofthesacredearth.org |
Creation Spirituality Conversations |
The Christ Path Seminars Explore Creation Spirituality and Sacred Activism in this timeless video series hosted by Matthew Fox and Andrew Harvey. Enjoy over 10 hours of dialogue from Matthew and Andrew, with special BONUS FOOTAGE from Joanna Macy and
Bruce Chilton.
$149 $99 |
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Inspired by this post? Share your insights on BlueSky, Instagram, Universeodon, or Facebook using the hashtag #RevDrMatthewFox and tag Matt with @RevDrMatthewFox FOLLOW MATTHEW FOX: |
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