Page Text: Engaged Mysticism , Holy Week , Via Negativa
We find ourselves living through a pandemic–not just of a virus but of lies and hatred, patriarchy and violence, wars and threats of nuclear war, attempts to replace democracy with authoritarianism. There is much to drive us to the deepest regions of our religions to find the energy to be renewed and empowered in times of distress.
“We can hardly pass the raindrops without being wet, much less the blood drops of innocent victims even if we close our eyes… because our conscience will always remind us!” The Eighth Sin Witnesses – The Blind Indifference – Peace For Ukraine ! Image by Daniel Arrhakis (2022) on Flickr
Religious Feast Days and Seasons can expand our souls and ground them in times of pandemics of many kinds. Ramadan in Islam and Passover in Judaism and Holy Week in Christianity are such deep places that we can visit each year to become agents of hope for others. Such remembrances are meant to grow and expand our souls, hopefully.
Ramadan calls us to fast and to let go and in doing so reminds us that we can cleanse our hearts and minds and bodies by doing so. By letting go of food during the day, we are more ready for the joy and conviviality to be had in a group meal in the evening. Fasting, among other things, reminds us not to take food for granted. It also reminds us to become more aware of those who suffer hunger daily.
Passover speaks to us of our agency and empowerment in throwing off Pharaohs that appear in history all too frequently and that no one is condemned to be slaves forever. Liberation is a kind of redemption and the time is now. It reminds us of hope and our capacity to make a difference as we journey together in solidarity led by a God of freedom, not a God of control and tyranny.
“Interfaith Outing.” Photo by Maryamhasan on Wikimedia Commons .
Holy Week holds multiple messages for us. “Palm Sunday,” reminds us that popularity is often short-lived, that a “hero” on Sunday may become a victim on Friday when Empire triumphs and Envy asserts its powerful poison and feeds a mass sickness that calls forth hatred, lying and war itself. Those for whom power is their god can often poison the well of praise out of fear of losing their power.
It follows that we all need to be on guard against projections whether they be positive (Palm Sunday) or negative (Good Friday). We need a center that is grounded and deep enough not to be seduced by either.
We might call this conscience; or integrity; or our capacity for being emptied. Betrayal happens.
To be continued
See Matthew Fox, Essential Writings on Creation Spirituality, pp. 132-152.
To read the transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE .
Banner Image: Light in the desert. Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
Queries for Contemplation
How do Ramadan, Passover and Palm Sunday speak to you at this time in your life and in our planet’s life and Ukraine’s existence?
Recommended Reading
Matthew Fox: Essential Writings on Creation Spirituality
To encapsulate the life and work of Matthew Fox would be a daunting task for any save his colleague Dr. Charles Burack, who had the full cooperation of his subject. Fox has devoted 50 years to developing and teaching the tradition of Creation Spirituality and in doing so has reinvented forms of education and worship. His more than 40 books, translated into 78 languages, are inclusive of today’s science and world spiritual traditions and have awakened millions to the much neglected earth-based mystical tradition of the West. Essential Writings begins by exploring the influences on Fox’s life and spirituality, then presents selections from all Fox’s major works in 10 sections.
“The critical insights, the creative connections, the centrality of Matthew Fox’s writings and teaching are second to none for the radical renewal of Christianity.” ~~ Richard Rohr, OFM.
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