Theologians try to make Christianity relevant
by showing theology follows scientific methods
or correlating it to some current philosophy
or urgent need: racism, nuclear war, climate change
but the problem behind all problems
is dualistic non-unitive thinking in the form of individualism.
Individualism, the triumph of the individual
the foundation of American culture, is ironically false freedom:
separation from others and therefore separation from God
who in Jesus exhorted us to “love others as our self”
and “love our enemies.”
America is ironically “Land of the free and home of the slave”
according to the artist formerly known as “Prince.”
Ironically too, America will only overcome its shadow history
by embracing it: “Taking up your cross today
means owning your own shadow
which is the essence of ethics/
integrity/spirituality/religion.” – Carl Jung
First recognize the log in your own eye
before trying to take out the speck in your neighbour’s eye.
Otherwise, you project your shadow onto others
and force them to carry your darkness.
We can use everything that happens in us
and that happens to us, to wake up:
Buddhism exhorts us to resolve the dualistic struggle
by embracing difficulties (our crosses)
and by meditating day and night.
“Seek in reading and you will find in meditating;
knock in verbal prayer and it will be opened to you
in contemplation” – Guigo the Carthusian.
But contemplation is always beyond us:
beyond art/philosophy/theology
even beyond discussion or explanation –
the language of God
is silence.
But the language of the blind and deaf Helen Keller is
“Life is full of suffering
and it is also full of the overcoming of suffering.”
Intelligent Christian Spirituality 