Liturgies

How did you survive 40 degrees yesterday? I stayed home and watched some of the cricket.

I would like to begin with an adapted story from Anthony DeMello.

Jesus said he had never been to a 20-20 Cricket Match. So we took him to one, my friends and I. It was a fiercely fought clash between the Christian Crusaders and the Muslim Mightymen.

The Christian Crusaders batted first. And when a six was hit on the 4^th ball of the very first over, Jesus jumped up to his feet and cheered wildly and threw his hat into the air.

The very next ball the Christian Crusader was clean-bowled by the Muslim Mightymens fastest bowler. And again Jesus jumped up to his feet and cheered wildly and threw his hat into the air.

This seemed to puzzle the man behind us. He tapped Jesus on the shoulder and asked, “Which side are you barracking for Mate?”

“Me?” replied Jesus all excited. “I’m not barracking for either side. I’m just enjoying the game.”

The questioner then turned to his neighbour and sneered, “Hm, an Atheist!”

Most scripture scholars believe that today’s Gospel reading from Matthew was written to address the dispute within the Matthian Community regarding to whom Jesus was sent. Was his message entirely for the Jewish community, of which the majority of the Matthian community consisted? Or was his message for all the world? Matthew is clearly stating that Jesus’ message was for everyone by allowing 3 strangers from different lands to come and pay homage to the Christ Child – quite a radical message for his Jewish audience. Today’s Gospel is all about Inclusivity. All are welcome in the Kingdom of God, the dream of God, writes the author of Matthew’s Gospel.

God’s dream for Matthew is where there no distinctions, discriminations or exclusions. All is one.  Neither Gentile or Jew, Slave or Free, Woman or Man, to quote the author of Ephesians. Paul Smith, author, teacher, and American Baptist Minister and psychologist, in his essay, 10 Core Characteristics of Emerging Christianity, he writes “A Christianity which is flourishing has these aspects :

Number 1: “The recovery of the Contemplative Tradition which invites non-dual ways of seeing which take us beyond the opposition either/or categories of liberal or conservative, feminist or patriarchal, activist or contemplative, Eastern or Western practices, Catholic or Protestant or new Thought.

The non-dual heart is born in a state of conscious attunement to the Spirit and encourages a regular contemplative practice. It invites deepening self-awareness of the ways in which our egoic, false-self clings to habits that get in the way of clear seeing. Its core practice is rooted in the Psalmists’ song “Be still and know that I am God.”

In this still space, we can move into the clear seeing of the oneness of life. The third characteristic of Emerging Christianity is “That it is Global and recognized that diversity in expressions is simple part of our humanness. Whether we accept it or not, we are encountering other cultures every day in what we read, watch and eat and in with whom we converse, love, play and pray. In this movement, the historical battles around how someone else eats, looks, prays or loves are either resolved, boring or inessential to the larger conversation which recognizes the underlying unity of all things throughout history and culture.

Last week I had the good fortune of attending some of the Woodford Folk Festival, where through music, poetry, dance, art and creativity, we were moved into the heart space, right brain rather than left brain thinking, where barriers are broken down, people are less defensive, and more open, sensitive, caring and compassionate.

I believe that it is in this heart space of connectivity that we can change ourselves and our worlds. Someone of note once said, when people’s hearts are changed, that is when real change can occur. Change then becomes less top down and more bottom up. Change happens because people want and deserve it.

I had the good fortune of listening to a young woman, Miranda Gibson, from Tasmania, who spent 457 days perched high up in a tree in the centre of an old growth Tasmanian forest ear-marked for logging. With the support of ground staff she was able to spend the entire time up this 400 year old huge eucalyptus tree. She was moved to do so because not far from where she lived was an old growth forest which she visited regularly; and in the forest was a huge tree which she spent significant time with and affectionately named it. One day she returned and all that remained was the stump of this majestic tree. She wept, and was angry and she turned her rage into action.

She rallied people around her to develop a Direct Action Plan to prevent this happening again. From her tree-top home and trusty lap-top computer she started a global movement which prevented the logging of this Old Growth Forest, at least for the time being.

While in the tree, she regularly observed a small family of Tasmanian Devils, which she filmed. Because of her actions, they still have a home.

Much still needs to be done. And many more trees are still threatened. But this one action initiated by this one young woman inspires each of us to use our one precious life to make our world a better place. It starts with each of us, connecting at a deep level with our true selves, often in the stillness of our hearts where there is no separation.

We sometimes forget that the ones with ALL includes all of life, particularly that which is forgotten, devalued or threatened with extinction, often as a result of our thoughtless lifestyles and Anthropocentric world views.

I would like to finish with a poem I wrote about a year ago called Mere Mirages.

Mere Mirages:

In the still space between us

I swim without thought

At home in the primordial place

Which was before the universe.

I stop abruptly when my eyes

Meet yours

And my MY meets you’re my

And thoughts of me and my and I return.

You smile warmly thawing the cold isolating

barriers erected by the mind.

Your smile reminds me that my ME and MY and I

Were mere mirages of the mind.