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In yesterday’s DM, I paid homage to my good friend Donald Reeves who was a no-nonsense critic of injustice and of non secular tiredness. Within the earlier two DMs, we meditated on Otto Rank’s treatment for ailing democracy, paying extra consideration to what he known as the “irrational” dimension to life and creation and human nature. This consists of artwork and music in addition to anger at injustice.
Donald liked music and was a musician who studied and performed Bach on the organ even in his dwelling. After his 18 years at St. James, Reeves took early retirement in 2000 and arrange “Soul of Europe” together with his accomplice, painter and creator Peter Pelz. Their non-profit group promoted inter-faith with three religion traditions in Bosnia—Muslim, Orthodox Catholic and Roman Catholic–following the terrible wars there. It was to be “an indication of Muslim-Christian collaboration.”
The Soul of Europe sponsored the rebuilding of the Ferhadija mosque in Banja Luka in Bosnia which the Serbs had destroyed in 1993. They invited survivors of a killing camp who have been Muslim to work with Bosnian Serbs on constructing a memorial for these murdered there. Although he wrestled with most cancers, he threw himself into this bold—some stated ‘loopy’—undertaking together with his customary vitality and aptitude [and] gained the boldness of all of the political and non secular leaders there bringing them collectively for normal consultations.
His peace-making in war-torn Bosnia was impressed by Nelson Mandela who stated, “if you wish to make peace together with your enemy, it’s important to work together with your enemy. Then he turns into your accomplice.” Reeves says, Peace-building is a vocation; not a lot a aim to be pursued as a calling to be heard….[It] suggests a shared future into which former enemies stroll collectively in the direction of a horizon striving for group.
Donald knew from expertise how artwork as meditation feeds one’s prophetic vocation. He tells us what Bach meant to him and his peace-making:
The factor about Bach’s music is that it anticipates. It’s at all times anticipating, at all times shifting ahead, by no means stops, by no means goes backwards. The work I do shifts between peace constructing and the music of Bach. We’ve to cope with all of the difficulties that we discover. You must have that power of vitality to maneuver ahead and rejuvenate—that’s hope and that’s what the music does for me. It actually heals the spirit and makes me really feel I wish to stick with it this work of constructing bridges, creating peace. Peace constructing is in Bach’s music. There is a gigantic ache, an ideal eager for union with God, for union with the entire of creation the place heaven and earth can meet.
I extremely suggest an article printed in Resurgence journal entitled, “Donald Reeves explores how the advanced music of Bach conjures up his peace-building work in Bosnia.”* Says Donald: Taking part in the music adjustments the way in which through which I see the world. It redresses the steadiness from a much less bleak view of human affairs to a extra sane and hopeful perspective….Bach’s organ music is immeasurably life-enhancing; saturated with intimations of hope.
Donald died on Halloween. I feel that was an applicable day for him to die, on the cusp of All Souls and All Saints feast days however with a twist of humor and competition and costume as much as it. He was a prophet for he stood up and interfered (Rabbi Heschel’s definition of the prophet is one who interferes) with complacency and passivity of a lot institutional faith to make life occur. He led the transfer from faith to spirituality and creation spirituality particularly.
His books embrace For God’s Sake (1988), Making Sense of Faith (1989) and The Memoirs of ‘A Very Harmful Man’ (2009). These trying to revive and reinvent church can do no higher than to comply with his lead.
Thanks, Donald, to your management, your humor, your braveness, your daring, your integrity, your prophetic vocation generously—and joyfully–lived. And your imaginative and prescient and dwelling and sharing of creation spirituality.
*Donald Reeves, “Music for Peace: Donald Reeves explores how the advanced music of Bach conjures up his peace-building work in Bosnia.” Resurgence & Ecologist Journal, March-April 2011.
Stephen Bates, “The Rev Donald Reeves obituary: Progressive Anglican clergyman radicalised by an city ministry social undertaking in Chicago,” The Guardian, November 13, 2024.
“Donald Reeves, radical Rector of St James’s, Piccadilly, known as a ‘harmful man’ by Mrs Thatcher,” The Telegraph, November 15, 2024.
See Matthew Fox, Authentic Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality.
And Fox, Creation Spirituality: Liberating Items for the Peoples of the Earth.
And Fox, Prayer: A Radical Response to Life.
And Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ.
Banner Picture: “I name to you, Lord Jesus Christ” BWV 639 from the Orgelbüchlein, Johann Sebastian Bach. Wikimedia Widespread
Queries for Contemplation
Does the instance and teachings of Donald Reeves in regards to the significance of artwork as meditation (and the “irrational” due to this fact) help you within the prophetic struggles you bear?
Advisable Studying
Authentic Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality
Matthew Fox lays out a complete new course for Christianity—a course that’s in actual fact very historic and really grounded in Jewish pondering (the truth that Jesus was a Jew is usually uncared for by Christian theology): the 4 Paths of Creation Spirituality, the Vias Positiva, Negativa, Creativa and Transformativa in an prolonged and deeply developed manner.
“Authentic Blessing makes out there to the Christian world and to the human group a radical treatment for all darkish and derogatory views of the pure world wherever these could have originated.” –Thomas Berry, creator, The Dream of the Earth; The Nice Work; co-author, The Universe Story
Creation Spirituality: Liberating Items for the Peoples of the Earth
Fox’s spirituality weds the therapeutic and liberation present in North American Creation Spirituality and in South American Liberation Theology. Creation Spirituality challenges readers of each spiritual and political persuasion to unite in a brand new imaginative and prescient by way of which we study to honor the earth and the individuals who inhabit it because the reward of a very good and simply Creator.
“A watershed theological work that gives a standard floor for spiritual seekers and activists of all stripes.” — Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Apply.
Prayer: A Radical Response to Life
How do prayer and mysticism relate to the wrestle for social and ecological justice? Fox defines prayer as a radical response to life that features our “Sure” to life (mysticism) and our “No” to forces that fight life (prophecy). How will we outline grownup prayer? And the way—if in any respect—do prayer and mysticism relate to the wrestle for social and ecological justice? One in every of Matthew Fox’s earliest books, initially printed below the title On Changing into a Musical, Mystical Bear: Spirituality American Type, Prayer introduces a mystical/prophetic spirituality and a mature conception of the way to pray. Known as a “traditional” when it first appeared, it lays out the distinction between the creation spirituality custom and the autumn/redemption custom that has so dominated Western theology since Augustine. A sensible and theoretical guide, it lays the groundwork for Fox’s later works.
“One of many most interesting books I’ve learn on modern spirituality.” – Rabbi Sholom A. Singer
In what could also be thought-about probably the most complete define of the Christian paradigm shift of our Age, Matthew Fox eloquently foreshadows the way through which the spirit of Christ resurrects by way of the return to an earth-based mysticism, the expression of creativity, mystical sexuality, the respect due the younger, the rebirth of efficient types of worship—all of those mirroring the continuing blessings of Mom Earth and the restoration of Eros, the female facet of the Divine.
“The eighth surprise of the world…convincing proof that our Western spiritual custom does certainly have the depth of creativeness to reinvent its religion.” — Brian Swimme, creator of The Universe Story and Journey of the Universe.
“This guide is a traditional.” Thomas Berry, creator of The Nice Work and The Dream of the Earth.
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