To get the whole argument, you really should read the book, or anything else that he has written (some of which you can find at careofthesoul.net), but here are some "bullets" from The Soul's Religion to hopefully get our juices flowing:
...We become most who we are when we allow the spirit to dismember us, unsettling our plans and understandings, remaking us from our very foundations.
...one of the many definitions of"religion"..."a constructive means for being open to the influence of mystery."
...Avoiding life in the name of pure spirit may look like religion, but it is defense against God...God is to be found in the thick of life, or not at all.
...God is as much in the mess as in the beauty.
...Religion in general is the most intelligent and least rational way of making sense of life.
...I don't want my intuition to eclipse other kinds of intelligence, but to compliment them. In matters of meaning and values, though, I put more faith in the nonrational. Nonrational is not the same as irrational.
...You can't get it perfect every time, but you can certainly be intelligent and inspired simultaneously.
...Personally, I am wary of mass enthusiasms
(from The Soul's Religion: Cultivating a Profoundly Spiritual Way of Life (New York: HarperCollins, 2002)
6 comments:
I think I have been on my faith journey for years, maybe decades. And it seems sometimes that I keep asking the same questions over and over. And while the answers vary (and are always very interesting and sometimes even profound), it doesn't feel like I'm getting "anywhere."
I'm wondering whether I need to start asking different questions. Actually, Cal just put a pile of Henri Nouwen books in front of me, and I think I'll open myself up to the thoughts and insights of someone who has dealt with these questions of faith.
...Personally, I am wary of mass enthusiasms. Does this have anything to do with what happens when the Pope travels to various parts of the globe?
More seriously, some of this sounds like "Lord, take my ego! I don't want it no more!" I forget where I heard that.
And it reminded me a bit of Heraclitus, from an old Philosophy class I took. "Things which are put together are both whole and not whole, brought together and taken apart, in harmony and out of harmony; one thing arises from all things, and all things arise from one thing." Logically, this seems quite paradoxical, yet intuitively I can sort of grasp it.
So when Moore writes, "...We become most who we are when we allow the spirit to dismember us, unsettling our plans and understandings, remaking us from our very foundations." I am thinking we get our act together when we let it go.
Easier said than done. It is hard to be humble. It seems you can almost get there and then find yourself being proud of being so humble. oops, Start again.
Random other thought. What if questions are the problem? Questions may frame the answer. But perhaps the answer won't fit in that framework and it escapes.
I, too, am wary of mass enthusiasms. This may be why I have been uncomfortable in organized religion for most of my life. I wonder what would happen if I disagree or don't get what the rest of the group 'gets'. The greatest gift I ever received was the acceptance one day that I didn't have to change myself or be perfect before God would love me. Talk about mystery and nonrational. In a world that seems focused on earning and deserving, God's love is a truly mysterious gift. Since then, my plans have been unsettled and those around me have also been unsettled.
I went to a large mega church once and when the "service" started, I was quite enthused. But as the service continued, I started to feel uneasy - like watching a cult in action. My companions came away saying "wow that was great". I have never been comfortable with the show that some churches put on week to week. And that was one of the many ways I have felt I was 'off the track' in my thinking over the years. My faith journey has also been full of questions. I didn't seem to follow the line of thinking prescribed by the religion I was following. I'm so glad to be part of this study group where my faith journey can zig and zag, and I can relish the twists and turns.
My faith journey began slowly, years ago, when I joined a Christian group for young mothers, or MOPS (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers). At first, I really didn't give my faith much thought. I spent time with God at MOPS gatherings, at our weekly bibly studies, and at church, but not on a daily basis. Then, slowly, as time went by and I learned more about the unconditional love of God, I wanted more of that, and began seeking Him more and more.
I'm also full of questions, and love to hear what others see and believe. My thoughts are ever changing and evolving.
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