Evil, as distinct from sin, is a Cosmic Event. It is big and affects many. This is why indigenous peoples are at home talking about “evil spirits” and why Buck Ghosthorse instructs us that “fear is the door in the heart that lets evil spirits in.”
Sins are doors in the heart—or better, as I write about in my book on Evil, doors in the chakras—that let evil spirits in. Into our souls and into human history, its institutions and its work places.
Not only our hearts have doors but so too do our base chakra that when healthy connects to Mother Earth and to the cosmos itself (because it is about vibration and all atoms in the universe are vibrating). When the door of the first chakra is closed, when we are cut off from Mother Earth and the Cosmos, Father Sky, much evil can step in such as denial of climate change and the “shrinking of the mind” and depression or despair that we call acedia. In addition, arrogance can take over when humans forget their relationship to the whole, the cosmos, and Mother Earth.
For far too long, Christians have interpreted the Crucifixion to be a private event brought about by their individual “sins.” But that is not the story told in the Gospels or by the great mystics of creation spirituality.
One gospel tells us that at Jesus’s unjust and cruel death at the hands of the Roman Empire, there was an earthquake and spirits rose from their tombs. Another, that the veil in the Temple was rent in two. But we now know that the Temple in Jesus’s day boasted two curtains and one of them was a painting of the universe. The universe was split in two—and that is how Jewish consciousness saw evil. Since the Earth stands on two pillars of Justice and Righteousness (internalized justice), when evil happens the entire universe is off kilter.
Isn’t that what is happening in Ukraine today? Who on the planet is not affected by it? Isn’t that what is happening with climate change today due to the matricide toward Mother Earth? Who on the planet is not affected by it? Our whole world is upended. Evil does that.
The Christ who suffered and died in Jesus is the same Christ who suffers and dies in us. This is why the Crucifixion is so universal a story. People—including just and good people—suffer. All beings suffer.
Adapted from Matthew Fox and Bishop Marc Andrus, Stations of the Cosmic Christ, pp. 122-127.
Also see Matthew Fox, Bishop Marc Andrus, Ullrrich Javier Lemus and M.C. Richards, Stations of the Cosmic Christ Meditation Card and Guide Booklet.
To read the transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner Image: Global surface temperature anomalies on Earth for 2021. Higher than normal temperatures, shown in red, can be seen in regions such as the Arctic. Lower than normal temperatures are shown in blue. Image credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio/Kathryn Mersmann
Queries for Contemplation
What follows from the cross being a cosmic event and not just an anthropocentric happening? Is evil always a cosmic event? And redemption?
Recommended Reading
Stations of the Cosmic Christ
By Matthew Fox and Bishop Marc Andrus.
This is a book of meditations on the Cosmic Christ, accompanying the images of 16 wonderful clay tablets by Javier Ullrrich Lemus and M.C. Richards. Together, these images and meditations go far beyond the traditional Stations of the Cross to inspire a spirit awakening and understanding of the cosmic Christ Consciousness, Buddha consciousness, and consciousness of the image of God in all beings, so needed in our times.
“A divinely inspired book that must be read by every human being devoted to spiritual and global survival. It is cosmically brilliant.” — Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit
Stations of the Cosmic Christ Meditation Cards and Guide Booklet
Beautiful full-color cards from Stations of the Cosmic Christ to aid in your meditations on the Cosmic Christ, featuring the images of 16 wonderful clay tablets by Javier Ullrrich Lemus and M.C. Richards. Step beyond the traditional Stations of the Cross and experience a spirit awakening and understanding of the cosmic Christ Consciousness, Buddha consciousness, and consciousness of the image of God in all beings, so needed in our times. Includes an instruction booklet containing suggestions on how to use the cards.
10 thoughts on “Good Friday as a Cosmic Event”
The “Last Supper” by Irish artist Nora Kelly is available as a postcard from We Are Church Ireland at https://www.wearechurchireland.ie/store/The-Last-Supper-Nora-Kelly-Postcards-Pack-of-12-12x15cm-8-x-6-p218568137
Easter blessings from Ireland!
Colm Holmes
Colm, thank you so much for sharing this image!
Appreciation,
Phila Hoopes
Blog Coordinator
There are two things that speak to me today within the DM. The first are the words, “fear is the door in the heart, that lets evil in.” I’ve sensed for quite some time that fear is the opposite of love, rather than hate. Fear is fought with an attitude of humility and the responsibility for harmony, through love. Jesus exemplified this in his life and now empowers us to do the same, as the archetype of the Cosmic Christ.
The second are the words, “The universe is split in two, when there is a cosmic event of evil eclipsing goodness.” In relating this to the chakras, I have experienced in my healing work using tuning forks… that whenever there is a closure in the lower chakras, there is a corresponding closure in one of the upper chakras as well. This to me, mirrors just how impacted the as above is by that which happens in the so below… throwing the whole system off balance.
One of the other things I have learnt in this healing work, is that when one is caught in the web of extreme fear, terror and psychosis, the focal point of energy within their auric field known as the static assemblage point, whose function is to govern how we perceive our reality, as well as our ability to shift our position of reality, becomes so impaired… that it no longer follows the pathway through the center line of all the chakras, known as walking the Good Red Road of Life. This distorted view of reality then moves split off from its proper and balanced movement, moving instead down either the right or left side of the body… these are known as the Blue Road or the Animal Road, the gateways to the darkside and the evil that lies there. Hitler and Putin are an example of this.
These improper shifts in movement, of perceiving reality, can however be shifted towards the heart chakra… the bridge between the so below and the as above, through the long and gradual journey of coming into its proper and balanced movement… of walking the Good Red Road of Life, through spiritual self growth and development as well as many other energy healing modalities. In doing so, one moves from its animalistic nature of darkness, fear and death… into its human and divine nature of the light of love and life.
Jeanette, You write: ” I’ve sensed for quite some time that fear is the opposite of love, rather than hate”–this is a teaching of A Course in Miracles which I agree with, but it doesn’t deal with evil because A Course in Miracles teaches that evil is an illusion. Then when you say the Blue Road our Animal Road is the gateway to “the dark side and the evil that lies there. Hitler and Putin are an example of this.” For me evil is something that involves volition. Hitler and Putin have made choices in their own interest, and according to their own twisted minds.
Animals have relatively little choice and operate, for the most part according to instinct, that’s why we can’t say a lion is “evil” for killing a gazelle. Then in speaking of walking the Good Red Road you say, “In doing so, one moves from its animalistic nature of darkness, fear and death… into its human and divine nature of the light of love and life.” Its probably just me, but I do not like to compare evil with animals who have little or no choice in matters.
Richard, my understanding is that volition is governed by one’s perception of reality. In the Indigenous teachings, unbalanced two leggeds… meaning human beings unevolved, unbalanced animalistic nature negatively distorts and influences their volition… governing their perception of reality with an improper movement. Mathew himself has referred to this as the reptilian brain.
The Good Red Road is one of human evolution… which is the unfolding and emergence of that natural movement of conscious awareness… a movement from our animalistic nature to our sacred human nature… rooted and grounded in the balanced and harmonizing movements of the Great Spirit, the Great Mystery… whom is the light of unconditional love and the beauty of this goodness… whose very presence and essence within ourselves and the all and the everything, governs our perception of reality… and when lived in the balance and harmony of, wisely guides, leads and counsels us in our volition, therefore expanding our perception of reality… teaching us to take conscious responsibility for our part in the co-creation of this, with humility.
Those whom walk the Blue Road are caught in the web of darkness, illusion, fantasy and the delusions of separation and the improper movements of their unbalanced perceptions of reality. Unable and unwilling to not only perceive our interconnections, interreliabilty or interdependence within the Great Mystery , the Great Spirit and the all and the everything, these ones devolve into further darkness, resulting in the improper use of their volition… which leads to the evils of destruction and death.
Very interesting points. Can you recommend a book to explain the chakras and their energy? I’d like to know more. (You can message me on Fb)
Hello Olive,
Matthew goes into depth regarding the chakras in his Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh. For other information on the chakras, Anodea Judith’s Wheels of Life is a classic.
Appreciation,
Phila Hoopes
Blog Coordinator
Mysteriously, our eternal souls are still evolving, especially here on earth with our human experiences of not only the beauty and joy of our relations with one another and Mother Nature and all Her creatures, but also in our daily compassionate action and social justice to alleviate the human suffering caused by the ongoing history of many of humanity’s sins of ignorance, selfishness, cruelty, violence, greed, egocentricity, toxic masculine and patriarchal institutions,… Many of these ongoing human sins, including matricide of the earth, have been the results of our lack of awareness/consciousness of our inner-Divine Nature and our deepest spiritual interconnection/interdependence to our inner and outer relation to our Loving Creator~Source, with-in All ongoing Creation~Evolution in the Cosmos… I believe with-in our Loving unique Divine Diversity and Soul Oneness, our Mother~Father Creator Presence has mutual Joy in our growth~compassion for one another and our ongoing Beautiful co-Creation, but also mutually suffers and weeps with-in us on our eternal spiritual journeys…. our faith is that God’s Divine Love, Power, and Creativity is greater than evil in the Cosmos….
Damian, You write today of the beauty and joy that we have in our human relationships and with Mother Earth and all her creatures–this we definitely need to focus on more, or we will fall into the sin of acedia and despair over the suffering in the world–you say this so well when you write, what we need to do is daily take: “compassionate action and social justice to alleviate the human suffering caused by the ongoing history of many of humanity’s sins of ignorance, selfishness, cruelty, violence, greed, egocentricity, toxic masculine and patriarchal institutions…” Thank you for your comment.
Matthew, You ask these questions in our Queries for Contemplation:
“What follows from the cross being a cosmic event and not just an anthropocentric happening?” You answer this yourself in saying, “For far too long, Christians have interpreted the Crucifixion to be a private event brought about by their individual ‘sins.'” My own personal feelings in this are that Christ’s death on the cross didn’t magically take away our sins, and we can only say that it was a cosmic event from our perspective as Christians. In reality, the crucifixion in my mind, was just another example of someone dying for what they believed in. He wasn’t the first and won’t be the last. This doesn’t mean I don’t have a relationship with the cosmic Christ, the Logos as Philo of Alexander used the term. I actually see the holocaust as more of a cosmic event, in which evil came alive in a way that has rarely happened on this planet. That is why theologians like Richard Rubenstein wrote, AFTER AUSCHWITZ. I also feel that there is great truth in what you say here: “arrogance can take over when humans forget their relationship to the whole, the cosmos, and Mother Earth.