The bitter irony of our present secular age, of atheism, naturalism and humanism, is that we still have the longing, the yearning for more, but we deny our own "hearts" through which the Lover of our souls is speaking to us.
We have cast aside a wealth of knowledge and experience from all time only to imprison ourselves in this cage ("immanent frame") of our own making. True, much of it is in response to imperfect religion, law, prophets and philosophy, but we have abandoned the good, the truth, by throwing it all out.
Sadly too, the fundamentalists of Christianity and other faiths are no better off. They long, they yearn as well. Their own prisons may be if a different sort, but they are still prisoners of their own making much as the atheists, the secular humanists.
True "freedom" of heart, mind, soul and body eludes both the believing and the unbelieving in this age. We have disdained and dismissed the perennial tradition/philosophy which holds the Ultimate Truth of Divine LOVE (God by any other name), both the fundamentalist religious and the atheists.
Humanity is a sad, broken species though "made in the image" of Divine LOVE. In our denial of Ultimate Truth, Ultimate Reality, we deny our own true selves. The result is brokenness manifested in its longing as greed, lust, narcissism, anger, hatred and violence, or simply hopeless depression and apathy.
I have expressed it often, a closed mind is a prison of our own making. True scientists, those who've given us great discoveries, have always had open minds. Their passion has allowed them to transcend the "immanent frame" of society and culture. They have been able to hold science and faith together as complementary.
I sense we are once again in the midst of a "dark age" of our own doing/thinking. Yet, in darkness (Trump etc) it is often best that we see and encounter the Light. I recall the dark ages of medieval times; the fall of a great empire, the dysfunction of a great religion, and more. And I also recall the simple return to Creation and Creator to rediscover Ultimate Reality, the Light, and then carry it back into the dark ("Celtic Christianity").
Here for reference is a good statement of the perennial tradition/philosophy:
The term “perennial philosophy” refers to a fourfold realization: (1) there is only one Reality (call it, among other names, God, Mother, Tao, Allah, Dharmakaya, Brahman, or Great Spirit) that is the source and substance of all creation; (2) that while each of us is a manifestation of this Reality, most of us identify with something much smaller, that is, our culturally conditioned individual ego; (3) that this identification with the smaller self gives rise to needless anxiety, unnecessary suffering, and cross-cultural competition and violence; and (4) that peace, compassion, and justice naturally replace anxiety, needless suffering, competition, and violence when we realize our true nature as a manifestation of this singular Reality. The great sages and mystics of every civilization throughout human history have taught these truths in the language of their time and culture." —Rami Shapiro
Many in the Christian tradition have endeavored to try and explain this "secular age" and how we may live in it but not succumb to its . . . shallowness, dryness, emptiness. I would submit that seeking the perennial tradition within our own faith traditions is a good place to start. As Jeremiah the prophet heard, "Go down to the crossroads, seek the ancient way and walk in it."
For me personally, I desperately needed an intimate experience of Divine LOVE (God). I found it in the one called Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God. No, not the religion called Christianity, nor Christendom, but a relationship with and in The Relationship at the Center of All. I have seen and experienced the much more good going on that the world cannot see. I understand how truly "rich" I am, and I am grateful. All of this has been a gift of love, grace, mercy and compassion -- which describes Jesus, the "face and name" of Divine LOVE Themselves. Not exclusionary, but all-inclusive fulfillment of the perennial tradition, of all the good law, prophets, religion and philosophy throughout all time.
Of course I have my other favorites, and there are many of those, but for this time I "heartily" recommend the following:
* Divine Conspiracy and others by Dallas Willard * Divine Dance, Falling Upward and others by Richard Rohr * Surrender To Love and others by David Benner
On Aug 2, 2018 Patrick Watters wrote:
Our Secular Age - The Perennial Tradition
The bitter irony of our present secular age, of atheism, naturalism and humanism, is that we still have the longing, the yearning for more, but we deny our own "hearts" through which the Lover of our souls is speaking to us.
We have cast aside a wealth of knowledge and experience from all time only to imprison ourselves in this cage ("immanent frame") of our own making. True, much of it is in response to imperfect religion, law, prophets and philosophy, but we have abandoned the good, the truth, by throwing it all out.
Sadly too, the fundamentalists of Christianity and other faiths are no better off. They long, they yearn as well. Their own prisons may be if a different sort, but they are still prisoners of their own making much as the atheists, the secular humanists.
True "freedom" of heart, mind, soul and body eludes both the believing and the unbelieving in this age. We have disdained and dismissed the perennial tradition/philosophy which holds the Ultimate Truth of Divine LOVE (God by any other name), both the fundamentalist religious and the atheists.
Humanity is a sad, broken species though "made in the image" of Divine LOVE. In our denial of Ultimate Truth, Ultimate Reality, we deny our own true selves. The result is brokenness manifested in its longing as greed, lust, narcissism, anger, hatred and violence, or simply hopeless depression and apathy.
I have expressed it often, a closed mind is a prison of our own making. True scientists, those who've given us great discoveries, have always had open minds. Their passion has allowed them to transcend the "immanent frame" of society and culture. They have been able to hold science and faith together as complementary.
I sense we are once again in the midst of a "dark age" of our own doing/thinking. Yet, in darkness (Trump etc) it is often best that we see and encounter the Light. I recall the dark ages of medieval times; the fall of a great empire, the dysfunction of a great religion, and more. And I also recall the simple return to Creation and Creator to rediscover Ultimate Reality, the Light, and then carry it back into the dark ("Celtic Christianity").
Here for reference is a good statement of the perennial tradition/philosophy:
The term “perennial philosophy” refers to a fourfold realization: (1) there is only one Reality (call it, among other names, God, Mother, Tao, Allah, Dharmakaya, Brahman, or Great Spirit) that is the source and substance of all creation; (2) that while each of us is a manifestation of this Reality, most of us identify with something much smaller, that is, our culturally conditioned individual ego; (3) that this identification with the smaller self gives rise to needless anxiety, unnecessary suffering, and cross-cultural competition and violence; and (4) that peace, compassion, and justice naturally replace anxiety, needless suffering, competition, and violence when we realize our true nature as a manifestation of this singular Reality. The great sages and mystics of every civilization throughout human history have taught these truths in the language of their time and culture." —Rami Shapiro
Many in the Christian tradition have endeavored to try and explain this "secular age" and how we may live in it but not succumb to its . . . shallowness, dryness, emptiness. I would submit that seeking the perennial tradition within our own faith traditions is a good place to start. As Jeremiah the prophet heard, "Go down to the crossroads, seek the ancient way and walk in it."
For me personally, I desperately needed an intimate experience of Divine LOVE (God). I found it in the one called Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God. No, not the religion called Christianity, nor Christendom, but a relationship with and in The Relationship at the Center of All. I have seen and experienced the much more good going on that the world cannot see. I understand how truly "rich" I am, and I am grateful. All of this has been a gift of love, grace, mercy and compassion -- which describes Jesus, the "face and name" of Divine LOVE Themselves. Not exclusionary, but all-inclusive fulfillment of the perennial tradition, of all the good law, prophets, religion and philosophy throughout all time.
https://www.biblegateway.co...
https://www.biblegateway.co...
Other references pertaining to this secular age:
https://www.amazon.com/Secu...
https://www.amazon.com/How-...
https://www.amazon.com/Disr...
https://www.amazon.com/Reca...
Of course I have my other favorites, and there are many of those, but for this time I "heartily" recommend the following:
* Divine Conspiracy and others by Dallas Willard
* Divine Dance, Falling Upward and others by Richard Rohr
* Surrender To Love and others by David Benner