Yesterday Moltmann commented on the split in life that is often considered when we are talking about spirituality. He continues: But is this interpretation of spirituality biblical? We find nothing of this in the Hebrew Bible or Judaism. There God's Spirit, Yahweh's ruach, is the life-force of created beings and the living space in which they can grow and develop. god's blessing enhances vitality and does not quench the joy of living. The nearness of God makes this mortal life worth living, not something to be despised. We do not find anything comparable in the New Testament or in Christianity's original messianic traditions either. There God's Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, and the life-force of the resurrection of the death which, starting from Easter, is 'poured out on all flesh' so that it may live eternally. this doesn't just mean people's souls. It means their bodies too. It doesn't mean just the 'flesh' of human beings: it means the "flesh" of everything living. We underestimate the notion of Spirit and therefore lock it away with certain kinds of experiences. I enjoy hearing about this spirit as vitality. It is as though it is really all about all of life and the fullness of life therein. If that is the case, this "spirit" engages us in and through all things. It is what brings all things to life - life in the fullest. It also seems as though we are not simply talking about an individual spirituality. We are talking about the vitality of all of creation. What a wonder-filled expression! In that sense, I guess, we are wandering in and through a spiritual realm that is as real as the people around us - the smells in the air - the interaction between humans and our relationship with the animals and plants that make up all of creation. So...I suppose, our spirituality is that which connects us to the reality that is all around us. No need to go off and retreat (although retreating can be good) because we are in the midst of the vitality of God's creative Spirit even - now. Connection: Ordinary spirituality is simply that ordinary - but an ordinary that is viewed with a new lens. Come, O Spirit of Life. Come and open our eyes and open our lives that we will not simply walk by all that is blossoming forth within the domain of your creative Spirit. Amen. |
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