Dr. Matthew Fox Lecture

So I went to a really spectacular lecture last night on "Reinventing Christianity" by Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox. I found out about it sort of last minute, but it sounded applicable to my thesis work (and free!), so I decided to check it out.

I'm really glad I did. It was really incredible for me in a way that's hard to articulate. He spoke about religion, theology, spirituality, science, education, creativity and mysticism. Seriously, it was everything that's in my brain right now regarding the work and everything I try to put in the work. Fox was a theologian of the Dominican order, but he spoke about the Eastern religions quite a bit, Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, the yin and yang and the chakras. This was really good for me to hear since over the past few months I feel I've been turning into a religious mutt. Taking what speaks to me from all of these places and more and making it my own.

He talked about inner work and meditation and how if we don't start doing more of it, we are doomed as a species. About what it means to be human and how "one must make room in one's heart for the wonders of the Universe." About how whenever we eat food, we are literally eating sunshine. About the backwardness of our current educational system.

He spoke at length about mysticism, and how the loss of mysticism has hurt Christianity and humanity. How there are more scientists who are mystics than there are ordained theologians who are mystics. About how artists are mystics. How Einstein, when asked at the end of his life if he had any regrets, stated that he wished he would have been exposed to the mystics earlier in life. I thought I had a pretty clear understanding of what it meant to be a mystic, but after this lecture I'm left wanting a better definition. Research ahead.

Fox also talked about creativity, and creativity and prayer. How you pray from your heart, but often in organized religion we're too busy reading other people's prayers at each other. What it's like to dance your prayers. And my thought is, if one can dance one's prayers, can't one make one's prayers?

I bought two of Fox's books, which I'm super excited about and I need to get my paws on another one, specifically about creativity. (Don't worry, I'm sure you'll see me on an episode of Intervention soon, regarding my book buying habit) This lecture was exactly the sort of thing I needed to hear. It was like the Universe saying "Hey Liz Steiner, you're on the right track. If you keep going you'll be ok." Which after a year of what felt like being constantly kicked in the pants by same said Universe, felt pretty good for a change.