I am sharing some of my thoughts on the occasion of the Naming of the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples as an Historic Landmark by the city of San Francisco.
As we saw yesterday, Howard Thurman’s vision is that we strip ourselves beyond religious denominationalism “to the literal substance of ourselves before God”. There lies a vision for the 21st century.
My talk continues:
To do this letting go, undergo this emptying called kenosis and also forgiveness, we need to look at our mistakes and misdeeds–personal and communal–over the centuries. Slavery, genocide, hatred, lynchings, injustice of an economic kind, racial kind, gender kind, homophobic kind, hatred of Mother Earth–creation itself, ecocide and matricide looming so large in our growing awareness today—all this very often in the name of religion.
The latter is a situation that Howard Thurman warned us about when he wrote that “the collective psyche shrieks with the agony that it feels as a part of the death cry of a pillaged nature.”
Yes, we share a collective psyche, and we share a “pillaged nature” and the “death cry” it is sending forth–no matter how we identify ourselves whether African or African American, European or Caucasian, Asian or Latino, LatinX, or Indigenous; whether Catholic, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, atheist, humanist or “nones.”
We share a collective psyche and we are all homo sapiens. Are we stretching to be our better selves and bigger selves, our more generous and courageous, creative and joy-filled selves?
The Church for the Fellowship of all Peoples. When we look at the suffering of our species and the potential of our species, and the wisdom of our spiritual ancestors, we will always look to this place that named an aspiration, a hope, a possibility: That all peoples might find community together, fellowship together.
In light of today’s crisis of fellowship of all peoples evident in hate and violence in the Middle East, I urge you to listen to the prayer sung by Jewish and Muslim mothers together above.
See Matthew Fox, A Spirituality Named Compassion.
And Fox, Christian Mystics, pp. 203-217.
Banner Image:
See Matthew Fox, A Spirituality Named Compassion.
And Fox, Christian Mystics, pp. 203-217.
Banner Image: A sacred circle dance for women of a variety of ethnicities in northern Israel, led by author/visionary Jalaja Bonheim (out of view), 2009. Photo from JalajaBonheim.com, by permission.
Queries for Contemplation
How does your soul come alive while listening to and watching the video of Jewish and Muslim mothers marching and singing for peace?
Recommended Reading
A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice
In A Spirituality Named Compassion, Matthew Fox delivers a profound exploration of the meaning and practice of compassion. Establishing a spirituality for the future that promises personal, social, and global healing, Fox marries mysticism with social justice, leading the way toward a gentler and more ecological spirituality and an acceptance of our interdependence which is the substratum of all compassionate activity.
“Well worth our deepest consideration…Puts compassion into its proper focus after centuries of neglect.” –The Catholic Register
Christian Mystics: 365 Readings & Meditations
As Matthew Fox notes, when an aging Albert Einstein was asked if he had any regrets, he replied, “I wish I had read more of the mystics earlier in my life.” The 365 writings in Christian Mystics represent a wide-ranging sampling of these readings for modern-day seekers of all faiths — or no faith. The visionaries quoted range from Julian of Norwich to Martin Luther King, Jr., from Thomas Merton to Dorothee Soelle and Thomas Berry.
“Our world is in crisis, and we need road maps that can ground us in wisdom, inspire us to action, and help us gather our talents in service of compassion and justice. This revolutionary book does just that. Matthew Fox takes some of the most profound spiritual teachings of the West and translates them into practical daily mediations. Study and practice these teachings. Take what’s in this book and teach it to the youth because the new generation cannot afford to suffer the spirit and ethical illiteracy of the past.” — Adam Bucko, spiritual activist and co-founder of the Reciprocity Foundation for Homeless Youth.
5 thoughts on “Howard Thurman’s Vision for the Fellowship of All Peoples, continued”
I weep tears of hope, joining the prayer of the mothers; collectively dreaming an awakening vision of peace yet to come.
Though this seed may be but a spark in the womb; it will continue to unfold, evolve and emerge in due season.
The weft and warp of this visionary hope of peace is being woven, awakening through threads that bind together; a birthing shawl slowly taking on shape, substance and form.
The midwife dreamers arise, with healing hands and the fragrant scent of anointing oils, amidst blood stained lands.
Among the anguishing cries of the dying, resounds the steadfast heartbeat of the Divine Mother.
Ancient chants pulsate rhythms, causing all to turn; the crowning moment will not be breached by violent wars… for through the pain and suffering is announced the coming of the new birth.
Amen – Let It Be So!
The problem with MSNBC is their deep inbedesness with the Democratic government which is deeply imbedded with Israel Rachel Maddie failed to mention the ongoing 18 year siege of Gaza that has created so much violence and death. It is just not objective giving strong support to Israel while Saying Hamas is the problem not the occupation.
I agree that it is not an either/or situation, but rather a both/and story with no completely innocent parties except for those being sacrificed for the benefit of the aggrandizement of power. I do agree that we should not leap to any conclusions about who may be responsible for some of the horrors, including the hospital, but Israel had also previously bombed innocents in Gaza. Tit for tat never ends up well. Maybe, maybe, the voice of the mothers will be heard.
Pray. Let their be peace. But peace must begin when Israel begins to show love to Gaza . Thank yiu Matthew for the beautiful video Prayer of the Mothers
A new vision for the 21st century is needed. The imperialist vision was the vision of all people brought together under one central authority. The new vision begins with the understanding that freedom and diversity are important. Global cooperation to meet shared needs is also important but it needs to happen in a “community of communities.” Trying to establish one big church for “all people” doesn’t work. The Native Americans in California can explain the situation. The resistance to missions and boarding schools continues.