"The step between Ecstatic Vision and Sinful Frenzy is all to brief"- Umberto Eco
This quote reminds me of the problems that our spirituality, whether secular or non secular, that we must confront and come to grips with all of the time. The problem is an inability to bend. Is our spirituality a reed blowing with the winds of our times that rejuvinates with nurturing or a brittle unyielding concrete pillar? When our spirituality (whether beliefs, faith, or the absence of any) becomes unyeilding it breeds intolerence and a type of legalistic dogma that does not reconcile, it seperates. All of the great faith and spiritual traditions expound love over hate, and compassion over intolerance. No matter what tradition one walks in- the view of the higher truth (whether it be mindfulness, God, compassion, or humanities oneness with nature) always shows forth a route laced with compassion.
This is where the quote comes in- While we are all wrapped in the ecstasy of being a part of something larger, something divine, we must watch to make sure that these intense feelings of inclusivness and enlightenment do not put us into a frame of mind that breeds predjudice and condesention. This is the sinfullness of exclusive sects. Sects that condemn one to hell (or at least the secular contention that one is destined to live a life of stupidity) really miss the point of the inclusivness and reconciliation of spirituality.
In November of 2006, I was lucky enough to be able to attend the installation of the Episcopal Churches' new Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Shori at the National Cathedral.While there I was overjoyed to see representatives of all of some of the great faith traditions. Buddhist, Moslem, Hindu, Jewish and many different sects of my own tradition Christainity. This made me feel very much a part of a community which values and respects other faith traditions. According to some theologians, other faith traditions have insights that are different from ours, these insights do not make us any less of an adherent to our own traditions. They can even bolster our own adherence to our respective traditions and add to our own spiritual maturity.This respected voice adds"-"After all, we dont have gods, we have God" and I will add- "if God is love- dont we all have love?" Is love, no matter what tradition or way it shows up, not an ecstatic vision for the world?
This quote reminds me of the problems that our spirituality, whether secular or non secular, that we must confront and come to grips with all of the time. The problem is an inability to bend. Is our spirituality a reed blowing with the winds of our times that rejuvinates with nurturing or a brittle unyielding concrete pillar? When our spirituality (whether beliefs, faith, or the absence of any) becomes unyeilding it breeds intolerence and a type of legalistic dogma that does not reconcile, it seperates. All of the great faith and spiritual traditions expound love over hate, and compassion over intolerance. No matter what tradition one walks in- the view of the higher truth (whether it be mindfulness, God, compassion, or humanities oneness with nature) always shows forth a route laced with compassion.
This is where the quote comes in- While we are all wrapped in the ecstasy of being a part of something larger, something divine, we must watch to make sure that these intense feelings of inclusivness and enlightenment do not put us into a frame of mind that breeds predjudice and condesention. This is the sinfullness of exclusive sects. Sects that condemn one to hell (or at least the secular contention that one is destined to live a life of stupidity) really miss the point of the inclusivness and reconciliation of spirituality.
In November of 2006, I was lucky enough to be able to attend the installation of the Episcopal Churches' new Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Shori at the National Cathedral.While there I was overjoyed to see representatives of all of some of the great faith traditions. Buddhist, Moslem, Hindu, Jewish and many different sects of my own tradition Christainity. This made me feel very much a part of a community which values and respects other faith traditions. According to some theologians, other faith traditions have insights that are different from ours, these insights do not make us any less of an adherent to our own traditions. They can even bolster our own adherence to our respective traditions and add to our own spiritual maturity.This respected voice adds"-"After all, we dont have gods, we have God" and I will add- "if God is love- dont we all have love?" Is love, no matter what tradition or way it shows up, not an ecstatic vision for the world?
No comments:
Post a Comment