TRANSFORMATION OR EXTINCTION?

The most essential practice of peace is non-attachment

to your own views – clinging too tightly to our own beliefs/

ideology causes violence/war on the one hand

but on the other hand you have to believe in something

or your life is meaningless – you have to hold your beliefs

tightly/loosely – to be committed/open

 

and in our culture the number one blasphemy

is to question anyone’s views on autonomy – their right

to do their own thing without consideration of others –

their separation from others and God –

and the faith of the modern mind is based on this:

science can and should be allowed to do anything

no matter how horrendous – we have created

nuclear weapons – therefore we are morally obligated to use them

 

but one of the best things – if your faith brings you into conflict

with science/history/culture/philosophy

is that this conflict can stimulate new and deeper theology

 

the quantum theologian has already learned

that extinction (crucifixion) and transformation (resurrection)

are central coordinates of cosmic and planetary evolution –

in Romans 8:22 the Apostle Paul wrote

“the whole creation has been groaning together

in the pains of childbirth until now” –

birth/transformation and extinction are the two great possibilities

facing us right now and should be our primary focus

 

our primary focus is too often misplaced:

we focus only on: “Am I full or hungry? Am I sick or healthy?

Am I rich or poor?” Good questions but

if we leave God out of the equation

we will not be fully full/healthy/rich:

“You say ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy,

and have need of nothing’ but you do not know

that in God’s eyes ‘you are wretched/miserable/

poor/blind/naked’” (Revelation 3:17)

 

our true food/health/wealth is to do the will of God

who made us – only when we get this

will we be headed towards a world

that is interspiritually unified by both

the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

 

PEACE/VIOLENCE/MERCY

Prayer is not about changing God’s mind about us

it is about changing our minds so that

infinite mystery and forgiveness can abound in us.

 

The Christian journey travels through the self

to find the treasure hidden in the field within –

you sell everything to get this treasure

the queendom/kingdom/kindom within –

material things mean nothing by comparison.

 

God is already within us

we don’t need to attain God’s Presence

we are already in it – the only task

is to wake from our massive cultural trance –

Jesus and Buddha constantly urged their followers to

“WAKE UP!”

 

But we have both good and evil within us

God and the devil always whisper in our ears

exhorting us to peace or violence.

Gandhi’s whole doctrine of non-violence

summed up: “The way of peace is the way of Truth,

the way of violence is the way of Lies.”

Truth sees that violence is never necessary

but the Father of Lies, the Bad Wolf, also lurks within

and so we easily fall into violence.

 

But the Lord shines thru goodness and truth all around us:

“One day you’re waiting for the sky to fall

the next day you’re dazzled by the beauty of it all.”

– Bruce Cockburn

 

Taoism as much as Buddhism and Christianity

teaches the way of peace. Violence comes from fear

but Lao Tzu says “Because I am merciful, I can be brave

for Heaven protects the merciful”

and the Universal Christ says “Blessed are the merciful”

and thru the Apostle John: “Perfect love casts out fear.”

 

Jesus is the Perfect Lover and “Our True Mother –

Jesus carries us within him as he carries his cross

gives birth to us thru the birth-pangs of crucifixion

and then suckles us at his breast with the Eucharist.”

– Julian of Norwich

3 Big Thoughts for February 25, 2019

  1. The Cosmic Christ was already in the world before Jesus of Nazareth came along. The Cosmic Christ is the light that enlightens everyone who pursues goodness, truth, and beauty in any discipline. This includes non-believers, since the Cosmic Christ is goodness, truth and beauty.
  2. Spiritual seekers went to India in the 1960s and 70s thinking they could become mystics through drugs, sex, or ‘siddhis’ (psychic powers). However the true test of mysticism is becoming merciful as God is merciful.
  3. It is the imperfections in our universe, the wrinkles in space-time, that creates the galaxies, stars, and planets. If space-time was perfectly smooth, nothing would now exist. It is our imperfections that make us human, sensitive creatures. If we were all perfect, life would be perfectly boring.