In this Christmas season, it is good to bring more alive the mystic—that is the lover—in all of us. As well as the spiritual warrior or prophet. Jesus was both surely and he called all of us to our christ-like (or buddha-like or image-of-God-like) possibilities.
As we shared in yesterday’s DM, his “Our Father” prayer was literally—based on the Aramaic translation–that we bring heaven to earth by the work of our “fiery hearts and willing hands.” Said he,
O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos,
you create all that moves
in light…
Create your reign of unity now—
through our fiery hearts
and wiling hands.
How are we doing? How fiery are our hearts and how willing are our hands at this time in history when Mother Earth is suffering so seriously and when Father Sky is being newly appreciated thanks to Webb Telescope and so many other scientific discoveries of how we—the sun, moon, earth, her creatures and Homo sapiens arrived?
How does the Good News of our existence and its 13.8 billion-year journey to be where we find ourselves in this vast universe of two trillion galaxies, each with hundreds of billions of stars, elicit our gratitude and generosity?
One way to answer this question is to look about us for others who are expressing their gratitude with their fiery hearts and willing hands. Artist Lily Yeh is such a person.
Early this month, I received a letter from Lily telling me that she was invited to deliver a Ted talk. We have known each other for a number of years as she visited our creation spirituality programs to share her powerful work, and we have worked together on conferences over the years.
I recommend strongly blessing yourself this Christmas season by taking in her 15-minute TED talk which, along with the photos of her work, speak soundly of her fiery heart and loving hands.* I include here the letter I wrote her on December 4, 2024, in response to her talk.
Beautiful talk and presentation, Lily! I loved hearing your magical story told anew and with so many visuals to accompany it and to another and I’m sure different audience. It was very moving and I loved how people broke into applause along the way.
You are so right that beauty saves and especially in hard times like we find ourselves in today for the reasons you name–war, extinction of species, global warming and so much more. Thank you for being true to your big vocation and courage in going to the broken places and offering invitations to the young first who draw the adults and beauty and miracles follow. And allowing your light to shine.
Continued blessings on you and your inspiring work. May it spread and spread and spread.
There is a quotation from a 15th century mystic and scientist (Nicolas of Cusa) that I love very much that came to me as you spoke. It goes like this: ‘Humanity will find that it is not a diversity of creeds, but the very same creed which is everywhere proposed.
There cannot be but one wisdom. If it were possible to have many wisdoms these would have to be from one; for before any plurality exists there must first be unity.
Humans must therefore all agree that there is but one most simple wisdom whose power is infinite and everyone, in explaining the intensity of this beauty, must discover that it is a supreme and terrible beauty.’
Love and thanks,
Matthew
*Lily Yeh, “How art transforms brokenness into beauty” on Ted Talks, April 2024.
See Matthew Fox, Christian Mystics, pp. 158f.
And Fox, The Reinvention of Work: A New Vision of Livelihood for Our Time, pp. 190-217.
And Fox, Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet.
And Fox, The A.W.E. Project: Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human.
And Fox, “The Cosmic Christ and Creativity:” in Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, pp. 199-210.
Banner Image: “Lily Yeh by Daniel Traub” Photo by Daniel Traub, Wikimedia Commons
Queries for Contemplation
Does Lily Yeh’s story inspire your good work—whatever it is—that is born of fiery hearts and willing hands as a response of gratitude for your existence?
Recommended Reading
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.
The Reinvention of Work: A New Vision of Livelihood For Our Time
Thomas Aquinas said, “To live well is to work well,” and in this bold call for the revitalization of daily work, Fox shares his vision of a world where our personal and professional lives are celebrated in harmony–a world where the self is not sacrificed for a job but is sanctified by authentic “soul work.”
“Fox approaches the level of poetry in describing the reciprocity that must be present between one’s inner and outer work…[A]n important road map to social change.” ~~ National Catholic Reporter
Creativity: Where the Divine and Human Meet
Because creativity is the key to both our genius and beauty as a species but also to our capacity for evil, we need to teach creativity and to teach ways of steering this God-like power in directions that promote love of life (biophilia) and not love of death (necrophilia). Pushing well beyond the bounds of conventional Christian doctrine, Fox’s focus on creativity attempts nothing less than to shape a new ethic.
“Matt Fox is a pilgrim who seeks a path into the church of tomorrow. Countless numbers will be happy to follow his lead.” –Bishop John Shelby Spong, author, Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Living in Sin
The A.W.E. Project: Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human
The A.W.E. Project reminds us that awe is the appropriate response to the unfathomable wonder that is creation… A.W.E. is also the acronym for Fox’s proposed style of learning – an approach to balance the three R’s. This approach to learning, eldering, and mentoring is intelligent enough to honor the teachings of the Ancestors, to nurture Wisdom in addition to imparting knowledge, and to Educate through Fox’s 10 C’s. The 10 C’s are the core of the A.W.E. philosophy and process of education, and include: compassion, contemplation, and creativity. The A.W.E. Project does for the vast subject of “learning” what Fox’s Reinvention of Work did for vocation and Original Blessing did for theology. Included in the book is a dvd of the 10 C’s put to 10 video raps created and performed by Professor Pitt.
“An awe-based vision of educational renewal.” — Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice.
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.
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7 thoughts on “Lily Yeh’s Fiery Heart and Willing Hands—and Ours”
Rev. Fox, Thank you for sharing the words and amazing video of such a beautiful and humble woman. She is a wonderful example of how a person could look like when she/he lives her/his truth. We can learn much from her example.
Yes!!! The LOVE and Beauty Present within the uniqueness and sacredness of each one of Us waiting to be expressed/manifested every Present Sacred Moment of Our Lives with one another, with Beautiful Sacred Mother Earth, and with-in All ongoing Cosmic spiritual physical/nonphysical Co-Creation~Evolution — SPIRIT of LOVING DIVERSE ONENESS….
What if Canada became the 51st state of the USA as is being bandied about?
The only state in the USA that has more people is CA.
Canada would lean more toward the Democratic party preferences, and would that not create a dilemma in the divisive political ways of the USA?
What would the implications of that be when election times roll around in 4 years?
Just thinking of what could happen???????
In dark times, I ask myself why create art, why write, what difference does it make? Wouldn’t it be better to run for office? Every once in a while, even this week, this same question arises. Yet my gift is writing. Am I to turn my back on the gift God gave me, honed over decades, run for office, and if I were to win (highly unlikely) try to nudge the world toward justice that way? As Ms. Yeh says, the world needs beauty. Beauty can be transformative. My play La Posada, produced last year (https://www.mickishelton.com/here-s-what-s-new) is about the restoration of one of architect Mary Jane Colter’s hotels and the three people who brought it back to life. It’s about beauty. It’s about how we each must use our gifts to effect positive change. Thank you for Ms. Yeh’s TED Talk, Matthew. It does inspire me to keep writing. May we all respect the gifts God has given and use them to nudge the world toward a world of justice and beauty.
Yes! As I was walking my dogs around the park yesterday I gazed Up at the enormous off-white wall of the library and imagined a radiant mural that would be a song to the nearby oaks and a blessing upon those who seek refuge in the parking lot during the day. Lilys story has sparked me to go to the city council and hatch an art plan.
My church was built by slaves, and we have repented of that sin by a public plaque on the porch of the building. We are now in the process of determining how to atone for and repair the breach caused by that sin. There are various methods of reparation, including financial as well as broad support for the black community. We have fiery hearts and willing hands as we go forward.
Great video of Lily Yeh’s inspirational life.
The Mystical Revelation, the Union, the One, expresses more than “an idea of God.” Like museum artworks, it is a masterpiece of intense, living energy, an artwork of the Soul. You do not approach it casually. A glance, a simplified intellectual framing, will never adequately hold it. It is a living gem of infinite facets.
I am a “Neoplatonic”/Biblical Mystic, a woman in a type of mysticism long denied to women, denied OF our capability to be “strong /smart enough for the Mystical Teachings and the Revelation.” Nevertheless, my writing is the direct expression of Mysticism from a WOMAN’S voice. Now a new threat: AI is erasing authorship and accuracy by blending Mystical authors’ ideas after stealing them with its vacuum, then regurgitating its distorted imitations.
Anonymous, “processed mystical stuff” is NOT accurate, AUTHENTIC Mysticism, nor is it a Human Soul-Truth.
…well, that’s my opinion. But I’m “just” a woman…with a real name.