We are honoring Truth, which is too often dishonored in current media, by calling on the mystics.
The Cosmic Christ is said to say, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (Jn 14.2) By that I mean the early Christian community, who created John’s Gospel about 65 years after Jesus died, put these words into his mouth. The historical Jesus did not speak like that.
By doing so, the early Christians were telling us a lot about the importance of Truth. That it is a means by which Life happens and is nourished and deepened. And that it is an extension of “the Way,” which was an early way of talking about the Church. It was a path, a way, not so much an institution.
A way that included Truth and Life—“I come that you may have life—and have it in abundance” (also from John’s gospel, Jn. 10:10).
The “I am” sayings are, of course, sayings of the Divinity that resides in us all, call it the Cosmic Christ or Buddha Nature or Image of God. The “I am” is a divine name deriving from Moses’ question to Divinity about how he should relay his experience to the people. “I am who I am” or “I am who I will be” was the response.
Thus it is that we have many “I am” sayings in the Gospels and especially in the last (and most mature?) gospel, that of John. I am the light of the world, I am the Living Bread, I am the Vine, I am the Door, I am the Good Shepherd, I am the resurrection and the Life, and I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Because we are all other Christs, we can turn these teachings around and apply them to ourselves this way: How am I, how are we, a light to the world, living bread, a vine, a door, a good shepherd, resurrection and life, the way, the truth and the life for others?
Much of Jesus’ message can be summarized in those rich questions.
We provide truth for one another by our own open-minded and heartfelt hunting and gathering after truth. By making truth a priority, a value in our lives. When we stand up for truth and against false powers of any kind, we are bearing witness to truth and its possibility.
The truth of following our vocation becomes truth for one another to follow theirs.
Adapted from Matthew Fox and Marc Andrus, Stations of the Cosmic Christ, pp. 116-120.
To read a transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner image: “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Sculpture by MC Richards. Found in Stations of the Cosmic Christ, by Matthew Fox.
Queries for Contemplation
How are you the Truth for others? How are others truth for you? How is Jesus truth for you? And Buddha? And Isaiah? And Black Elk? And Sister Dorothy Stang?
Recommended Reading
The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance
In what may be considered the most comprehensive outline of the Christian paradigm shift of our Age, Matthew Fox eloquently foreshadows the manner in which the spirit of Christ resurrects in terms of the return to an earth-based mysticism, the expression of creativity, mystical sexuality, the respect due the young, the rebirth of effective forms of worship—all of these mirroring the ongoing blessings of Mother Earth and the recovery of Eros, the feminine aspect of the Divine.
“The eighth wonder of the world…convincing proof that our Western religious tradition does indeed have the depth of imagination to reinvent its faith.” — Brian Swimme, author of The Universe Story and Journey of the Universe.
“This book is a classic.” Thomas Berry, author of The Great Work and The Dream of the Earth.
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 “<strong>The Cosmic Christ—Us—on “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”</strong>”
Everything in creation shares the same vocation, yet each creation reflects, expresses and manifests this invisible likeness of the Divine, present in its essence and presence, in unique and diverse ways… giving life to this invisible truth… by making it visible.
Everything that exists, is a symbol, a sacred image of the Seat of the Soul of the Divine nature of the Mystery of God… each creation a visible representation of this invisible truth. Through contemplation and relationship with the visible, we can begin to understand the nature and value of the visible, representing this inherent invisible truth.
All creatures are a cast of characters, communicating a different language of this ONE Divine and Sacred invisible truth. Each visible creation is like a symbolic portrait of the invisible nature, attributes and identity… a holy image of the invisible truth… which is inscribed within the heart and soul of each created being. Each one, uniquely and diversly expresses the shifting balance between the likeness and idealization of this invisible truth of the Nature of the Divine, incarnate in all that exists. The defining feature of this invisible truth, which can be seen, known and understood… unfolding, evolving and emerging… taking shape, form and substance in all creation is… LOVE.
It is observable there is only one universal Truth that all living things experience, by living, multiplying and having our being. That Truth is the Way of Life, according to Jesus, we all follow is by living and having our being in the Cosmic Christ. Life serves its hosts with the unconditional love of Life’s presence from the loving, living family of our Triune God. Putin and Trump and Francis and Mathew share the same Life as all living things do. Because Life lives in the trillions of living cells, Life knows the pattern that connects us all into the one, resurrection and the fullness of Life as our everlasting yearning.
I am struck by artist MC Richards statement that she “…learned later that that image, the heart-shaped head, is an ancient image on the planet. It has been used in petroglyphs across the Pacific toward Asia as far back as 40,000 years ago.”
Richards’ experience reminds me of Ezra Pound’s statement: “The artist is the antennae of the race.” Serendipitously I came across Ezra’s statement yesterday in Leonard Shlain’s much acclaimed book Art & Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time and Light. As Shlain’s subtitle suggests, he is much influenced by Einstein.
Gwen, Thank you for your comment: “Richards’ experience reminds me of Ezra Pound’s statement: ‘The artist is the antennae of the race,’” and for the tip on “Leonard Shlain’s much acclaimed book Art & Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time and Light.”
Yes, we are all sparks of the Divine, especially in our unique humaneness, along with other unique creations, beings and non-beings… together we are the Loving Diverse Oneness, Cosmic Christ, in our ongoing co-Creation~Incarnation~Evolution within our Divine Eternal multidimensional-mutlverse Cosmos….
🔥💜🌎🙏
I’ve so appreciated these meditations on Truth because it has been the focus of my personal devotion for years. I have been angered by the wide reluctance to even acknowledge it, let alone embrace it. I’m offended by the barrage of lies coming from all fronts—politics, entertainment, churches, businesses—there is precious little Truth afoot today and the dead spiritual life of The People is a witness to that fact, because without Truth, there is no Spirit and people without Spirit are dead in their souls. Nowhere is this more evident than in the materialistic quasi-businesses called, today, “churches;” nor anywhere more proven than by these churches’ contribution to destructive politics that embrace anti-democracy, racism, and misogyny, and a concrete policy of Lies.
Dr. Hong’s astute comments on “euphemisms” is revealed in the current craze of “wokeness” that demands the ridiculous imperative to categorize every difference in everything when humanity would be served if we pared our descriptions down to the single Truth that we are all spirit and therefore One.
I can’t answer the questions because Truth to me IS Jesus, Buddah, the Saints, and in fact, All of Nature and Spirit.
When we are Together in Love we ourselves become any (or all) of the above.
Olive, Thank you for non-answer to Matthew question for the day (which really is an answer): “I can’t answer the questions because Truth to me IS Jesus, Buddha, the Saints, and in fact, All of Nature and Spirit.”
The Truth quoted from the Gospel of John is Mystical Truth as given to Moses. It directly and powerfully demonstrated that G*d was, and forever IS, more intimate with Moses/people/Creation than any other type of human experience or thought could ever convey. G*d is closer to us, IN US, than we are to ourselves, as well as closer to EVERY other person of every other religion. Closer to every Created particle, every flowing/changing atom, Closer to the farthest star. We can fool ourselves into believing that we’re “better than” THAT person, that group, THEM, but God’s Love embraces everyone, binding them in radical closeness to G*d, to each other, to the universe.
Mysticism has faded from Western cultures in the last several centuries, and was withheld from women for much, much longer. It was conveyed secretively, probably to very small numbers of men, and thus was easily lost over time. Had they passed along this Universal Wisdom to more people, especially women, it might have flourished, more women mystics might have been recorded (i.e., been acknowledged as genuine Mystics), and women might be honored as equals in society, in clergy, and in theology. Mystical Knowledge might have been allowed to spread compassion, respect, and equality for all people, and respect and love for Creation. Instead, this Mystical Wisdom was hoarded by a few, allowed to fade into confusion, and arrogance won out over Truth.
Melinda, I agree that: “women might [should] be honored as equals in society, in clergy, and in theology.” On the other hand, at least in the Catholic Church, there have been hundreds and hundreds of women mystics. In creation spirituality alone we uphold St. Hildegard of Bingen, Mechtild of Magdeburg, and Julian of Norwich. And then we can broaden the filed adding St. Teresa of Avila, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Faustina Kowalska and many more. Try picking up a book of saints…
(Sunday post) After more coffee yesterday, I realized that my phrase “(G*d is) closer to the farthest star” might be… confusing. (Sorry).
It refers to my personal, interior symbol from my mystical experience. As I described (in artistically dualistic, observer-language poetry) a while back, the experience had a unitive sequence of suddenly expanding upwards/outwards (from “my uppermost chakra”), flowing, encompassing, embracing more and more, earth, galaxy, stars, universe, rushing/engulfing more beyond into… radical non-dualism. It’s absolutely impossible to convey that non-dualistic consciousness/G*d. For me, though, “the farthest star” is my personal symbol of the “closest” (within the sequence of the experience) that I flowed/was embraced before all remaining frameworks of consciousness — of self/space/time/unitive awareness-OF-something — dissolved into the Totality of the radically non-dualistic One.
This is the lineage of mysticism that was treated as “Official but secret.” Women were often considered “only capable of” (steered into) other types. A few women, such as the Beguines, took matters and mysticism into their own hands. Eckhart learned from them, preached to them… and man-owned some of their innovative ideas (how shocking…). Several feisty female mystics were condemned and burned by the Inquisition.