What I write here or something like it has happened more than once in my life. I assume that at the last it will happen again. I come from the neck of the woods where the doorway to heaven is broad and all inclusive. I hung out with Unitarian-Universalists for over ten years in the 90s. The Unitarian side claims there is no exclusive truth of God and that personal conscience is fully capable of discerning truth if only one chooses to look with education and without prejudice. One can seek and find in most if not all traditions a true path. Jesus is optional. The Universalist side claims that in the words of my friend so long ago, “we either all go to heaven or we don’t.” These ideas are challenging in many places but accepted in many others. The Bahai, the Mahayana Buddhists (the majority), and most Hindu philosophy schools (there are so many) come to mind. That’s a big chunk of humanity, many people who all think somewhat alike in these matters.
From time to time people try stuff to bring this kind of thinking out in the open in Christendom. A fellow by the name of Matthew Fox (not to be confused with Emmett) offered us a controversial reversal and placed Original Blessing in place of Original Sin, claiming that this whole thing was severely misunderstood. He got in trouble with some people over that. Back a number of years Pere Teilhard de Jardin decided that Armageddon should be replaced with what came to be known as Omega Point theology. He got in trouble with some people too.
In other words, there is among many of us an urge to frame spirituality in a more positive light somehow. This is also the thrust of New Thought religions, which are a reframing, a rereading of the Gospels in a Neo-Platonic light, bringing the highest Greek thought contemporary with Jesus into the gospel message. These people claim that John is representative of this tradition, that it was fully present then, and so strong that the Church Fathers had to include his book in the Gospels. It is arguable that Jesus was educated enough to know this material, or if you want, as God incarnate was very familiar with Truth of which Platonic ideas are a strong expression. Eric Butterworth taught me to consider New Thought in this way.
I Have Lost My Breath
Inner space tells me
I am too weary to go
one more step this way
and I fall face first
as if I had no truth near
my old swiss cheese soul,
and none with true gift
enough to send the white light,
to illuminate
my dusty life.
Then this flock appears, angels
who give me more than
I deserve.
April 15, 2009 10:25 AM
Contraction
1 week ago
I love the poem, i would call it; touched by grace.
ReplyDeleteAnd about Christianity, i fear it might come to an end, eventually.
Replaced hopefully by something....better.
When i look in my neck of the woods, many are spiritually aware, communicating quite well as the essence is the same, it's essence maybe that it is like you say, all inclusive. At the same time, the way we celebrate our spirituality seems very individualistic. which is perfect for me.
I don't know about the future of Christianity. I know too many people who are serious about it to ever think of it as not a viable form of human spirit. I find it possible to hold a great respect for the seriously religious in most of its forms, though I have less respect for certain extreme types of fundamentalism. As ever, the mainstream of religious expression does not stand out per se and so is not newsworthy. The mainstream is just people getting along on the planet doing the best they can.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite another thing to say what I personally am called to. I took a religious test once that evaluated me as a Hindu with streaks of Buddhism, neo-paganism, Taoism, and Unitarianism, more or less in that order. Who knows. I had an experience that I have had to fit into my life somehow. That's what I really follow, that experience.
I agree with sticking with experience and judgement. Don't let other just tell us how to think.
ReplyDeleteThis poem was beautiful Christopher. The face plant, the reward on wings. And it goes like this...a cycle of being human.
ReplyDeleteThat is what I have done lifelong Anthony, in counterpoint to the despair in my life before that experience. Even so, there have been times when the press of others' intentions and demands have been so overwhelming that I have felt quite crazy insisting on my own way. It is not always easy to stand alone (as it often seems I do). Not til my later years did I begin to feel comfortable.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Annie.
I am going to amend my post. I should have said "Universalist" for "Unitarian" the second time, a typo I just caught.
Touched by grace, yes.....beautiful xxx
ReplyDelete