If there is such a thing, “original sin” would be the fall
of the human person from contemplative union with God
and “kyriarchy” would be the fall from union with others –
it is “lordship” – it goes beyond male patriarchy –
white women have lorded it over
both black women and black men for centuries –
lordship is a deeper problem than patriarchy
Ken Wilber’s Integral Vision has color-coded levels
of consciousness that explain all our falls and risings
and cause us to interpret divine beings differently
depending on our level:
red: the magic Jesus
amber: Jesus the lawgiver
orange: Jesus the world wisdom teacher
green: Jesus the savior through multiple paths
turquoise: Christ-consciousness in all people
violet: Jesus the Eternal Self beyond all suffering
similarly, the Enneagram, a powerful tool for alleviating suffering
distinguishes three different types of human beings:
gut/sexual
heart/social
head/self-preserving
who develop/grow/love in different ways
since love is the drawing and driving force
which activates and empowers the universe
it is seemingly contradicted
by “survival of the fittest”
plus nature’s other ways of being violent:
volcanoes/hurricanes/tornadoes/earthquakes –
but love is not always a purely positive force –
it often involves suffering in its movement
towards greater wholeness/greater being
in all our ordinary activities
sin and grace contend
so what we need is sober realism
rooted in the hope the Holy Spirit gives us
rather than naïve optimism – we need to:
despite trying family problems exercise charity
despite deadening routine find meaning
despite the frustrations of daily life nurture contemplation
despite powerful oppressive systems work for justice.
Intelligent Christian Spirituality 