The starting point of Master Kung Fu’s teaching
is that there is a transcendent/unchanging/objective reality
called ‘heaven’
and there is an immanent/changing/contingent reality
called ‘Earth’
and there is ordered and disordered human life.
Confucius (Kung Fu) knew
the Universal Christ in his own way.
If one does not reach the transcendent God
and a world-centric stage of development
then pluralism and multiculturalism
descends into ethnocentric tribal wars and oppression.
Likewise, the scientific attempt to control all of nature
combined with patriarchal consciousness
which refuses to confront its shadow –
the possible extinction of the human race –
means we will continue to destroy
our Mother, Earth.
What is needed is to face the chaos
and name our collective fears –
once Jesus knew the name of a demon
it lost its power.
But it is possible to overdue
facing the negative –
the great Protestant thinker, Reinhold Niebuhr
as great as he was
focused his Christology too much on Crucifixion –
not enough on Resurrection and Christ the Liberator.
Niebuhr emphasized sinfulness so much
the power of grace was obscured.
But humans are first of all grace-full
made in the image of God
endowed with a conscience which is
“the most secret core and sanctuary
of a human being.” – Vatican II
Still, the denizens of 21st century culture
are goal-oriented consumers, not prayer-full.
The purpose of prayer
is not to get anywhere
nor consume anything
except God
in whose presence we already abide –
God, not culture, is the believer’s center.
We are desire-full
but the Cloud of Unknowing says:
“Gather all your desires into one
simple and short prayer-word
that enables you to focus your love steadily
on God. This sacred word will be your defence
your flaming weapon of war
in conflict or peace.”
But inner transformation of our desires
is not enough – the whole Christian church
has a three-fold outward task:
fellowship/ministry/witness
or in the Greek New Testament:
koinonia/diakonia/martyrdom:
the kingdom/queendom of God
survives by drinking
the blood of martyrs.
Churches need people transformed
inside and out –
transformed people transform people –
conversion happens by attraction
to converted people
rather than self-promotion
of my ideas
over and against
your ideas.
The world will only be saved
if transformed people
live their faith.
Intelligent Christian Spirituality 