Thanks David! I’m very curious, if you have the time free, to hear any thoughts you might care to share on “all” among the peoples of the Native Nations (as in “all our relations”) and “all” for Paul and/or for Christians more generally? For me, an underlying issue is how we think of the mystical body of Christ. I think the idea that this body is somehow composed of Christians—as opposed to everything that was made through Christ—is a large part of what enabled Christians and their secular successors to believe they were benevolent while committing genocide against the Native peoples. When Jesus shares the good news that the kingdom has drawn near, I think he is referring not only to his physical presence but to the pure good intentions with which God created Heaven and Earth—intentions that are closer to us than our breath (though we may not be as aware of them as we might be)—intentions that I associate with the Holy Spirit. I do not claim any expertise when it comes to Native spirituality and wisdom (and the diversity thereof) but I think these peoples are generally more aware of these pure good intentions than Christians are and I am deeply curious as to why…
Hi Stephen. There's so much to be said here, so I'd better not try and say too much of it. I think I generally feel as you do. Western religious history suffers from its normative colonial impulse, a common-ish belief that material things are profane (which makes them easier to colonize), and an enclosed embattled view of what a religion is. I'm not sure Im generous enough to think that colonizers genuinely believe they're being benevolent, even if that sort of story is easy to spin to oneself. I've certainly found that giving my ears and attention to particular indigenous experiences has had a profound effect on my reading biblical texts, (where the context more often mirrors the experiences of the colnized). For example bringing the new testament Greek couplet, pan ta—all things—into dialogue with the language of "all our relations" has certainly opened up how i read things.
Thanks David! Me too! I have also found Iain McGilchrist’s distinction between our brain’s two different ways of devoting attention helpful in this regard. The difference between an attention focused on the whole and the relationships it contains as the whole presences to us and an attention focused on re-presentations that help us seek to grasp and manipulate what appear to be parts of reality. https://youtu.be/s2ygDb2CozE?si=57N6kz602IMNILdY
This is great! Thanks.
I suppose TS Eliot was talking about a similar thing (he was definitely referencing Julien of Norwich):
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.
Loved this
Your work feels deeply resonant with my own. Thanks. https://dissidentvoice.org/2024/03/reimagining-nationalism-and-democracy-with-the-view-from-the-shore/
Thanks David! I’m very curious, if you have the time free, to hear any thoughts you might care to share on “all” among the peoples of the Native Nations (as in “all our relations”) and “all” for Paul and/or for Christians more generally? For me, an underlying issue is how we think of the mystical body of Christ. I think the idea that this body is somehow composed of Christians—as opposed to everything that was made through Christ—is a large part of what enabled Christians and their secular successors to believe they were benevolent while committing genocide against the Native peoples. When Jesus shares the good news that the kingdom has drawn near, I think he is referring not only to his physical presence but to the pure good intentions with which God created Heaven and Earth—intentions that are closer to us than our breath (though we may not be as aware of them as we might be)—intentions that I associate with the Holy Spirit. I do not claim any expertise when it comes to Native spirituality and wisdom (and the diversity thereof) but I think these peoples are generally more aware of these pure good intentions than Christians are and I am deeply curious as to why…
Hi Stephen. There's so much to be said here, so I'd better not try and say too much of it. I think I generally feel as you do. Western religious history suffers from its normative colonial impulse, a common-ish belief that material things are profane (which makes them easier to colonize), and an enclosed embattled view of what a religion is. I'm not sure Im generous enough to think that colonizers genuinely believe they're being benevolent, even if that sort of story is easy to spin to oneself. I've certainly found that giving my ears and attention to particular indigenous experiences has had a profound effect on my reading biblical texts, (where the context more often mirrors the experiences of the colnized). For example bringing the new testament Greek couplet, pan ta—all things—into dialogue with the language of "all our relations" has certainly opened up how i read things.
Thanks David! Me too! I have also found Iain McGilchrist’s distinction between our brain’s two different ways of devoting attention helpful in this regard. The difference between an attention focused on the whole and the relationships it contains as the whole presences to us and an attention focused on re-presentations that help us seek to grasp and manipulate what appear to be parts of reality. https://youtu.be/s2ygDb2CozE?si=57N6kz602IMNILdY
Well, you made me cry while I wasn’t looking. There is so much beauty in this. (And I love the flute in this choir version. )
They're a wonderful bunch of musicians. No rehearsals, they just make it up as they go.