MEDITATION 835: Matthew Fox and Thomas Berry invite us to articulate the universe (11/21/2022)

Dear Friends,

We hope that you are safe and well.

In Today's Meditation, Matthew Fox invites us in the spirit of Thomas Berry to articulate the universe in its exuberance as the place where the Divine and the Human meet.

We invite you to join us as we commit ourselves to working tirelessly to end systemic and structural racism in our society, in the church, in healthcare, in the workplace--wherever it shows up so that everyone may come to have more abundant life. May this meditation nourish our contemplative-active hearts and sustain all of us in action.

In the spirit of our philosophy of co-creating community and our awareness that the Spirit speaks through each of us, we invite you to share your meditations with us as well. We truly believe that it is God's economy of abundance: when we share our blessings, our thoughts, our feelings, we are all made richer.

We hope and pray that you find peace, healing, hope and the infusion of joy in your life!

With our love and care,

Jean and Ron

MEDITATION 835: Matthew Fox and Thomas Berry invite us to articulate the universe

The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers

Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox

Thomas Berry's Invitation to Praise the Earth

November 21, 2022

In our recent daily meditations, we have been reflecting on Praise as in Rabbi Heschel’s observation that “praise precedes faith.”

We have addressed the joy and necessity of praising the element of Air that is so specially fine-tuned and renders life so diverse and marvelous on earth. And that obviously human life depends on—so much so that many religious traditions identify Spirit and Air. Air makes our lives possible and the Earth and her creativity possible.

The elements that make up our bodies and the Earth and all her creatures were birthed in a supernova explosion five billion years ago. They and make up the stuff of stars as well as the stuff of our planet and our bodies.

Looking up and beyond the trees. Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash.

Surely we want to thank these elements and not take them for granted. Thus, to praise them.

Thomas Berry does this wonderfully when he underscores that this is what distinguishes humans from other species on our planet. They participate in the wonder and beauty and joy of living, but they do not reflect on it. They praise in their own way, we in another way. Here is how he puts it.

A song for the sacred elements. This is a wordless song for ceremony and prayer by Chenoa Egawa (Lummi and S'Klallam) and Alex Turtle (Diné and Southern Cheyenne)

Originally posted to YouTube by Swan Clan Productions.

Everything is here for the same reason, for manifestation and celebration. But the humans articulate this. The others cannot articulate it reflectively. They can be a manifestation, but they cannot reflect on that.

Humans can, therefore our role is to be spokespersons for the universe and to appreciate the universe as the context in which the Divine and human meet.

In another place, Berry puts it this way: In the end the universe can only be explained in terms of celebration. It is all an exuberant expression of existence itself.

Do you, do we, do our institutions from education to politics to religion to business to media experience the universe as celebration and an exuberant expression of existence itself? If not, why not? What is holding us back? Does this not have everything to do with COP22 and our efforts, whether feeble or real, to save the Earth from climate change and human degradation?

To view today's video, please click the image. You will be taken to today's post on the Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox website, where you can see the meditation in a larger version and also view and post your Comments. In the sharing that follows, a kind of community is developing around the DM.

If you can't reach Matthew's video on the website, try his Vimeo channel HERE.

See Matthew Fox, Christian Mystics: 365 Readings and Meditations, p. 365.

Banner Image: “Sun Over Earth (NASA, International Space Station, 07/21/03) This view of Earth’s horizon as the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean was taken by an Expedition 7 crewmember onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Anvil tops of thunderclouds are also visible.” Photo from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Flickr.

Queries for Contemplation

How well is humanity doing, do you think, in being spokespersons for the universe that wants to manifest and celebrate? How can we get better?

Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, please click HERE

to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field.

Pastor's Letter

MEDITATION 835: Matthew Fox and Thomas Berry invite us to articulate the universe (11/21/2022)