Saturday morning, and my mind has been stretched, as it was yesterday, Today, by a radio documentary; Friday by a little book by Diarmuid O'Murchu. (I love writing thayt wonderful Irish name!) This morning, I loistened to the hope-filled story of one Ron Knelson, a Calgary artist. Knelson had a troubled childhood, and was addicted to drugs for a good bit of his life. For more than two decades, he was a homeless man on Calgary's streets. Just a few years ago, a collective of Calgary artists ran a program aimed at teasing the creativity out of homeless people, Knelson was given a throw-away Instamatic camera, and began shooting pictures. Time passed…creatively.
At this point, Knelson has photographs displayed in two art galleries, is clean, works part time in the laundry of a homeless shelter, and lives in the only shelter in Canada that has dedicated space for an art studio - in Calgary! Knelson's long-divorced wife has made contact with him, and they have been reconciled. He will soon meet the son he's never seen, and his grandchildren! He's moving to Ottawa with his ex-wife, and hopes to start life over again at the age of 60. Wow!
When your vision is blocked by shadows, and your perspective has become twisted by the actions of the dark side of the "nice" world, you tend to forget that little miracles (Knelson's term) happen and people's lives are redeemed.
O'Murchu - a former priest, long divorced from the formal Catholic Church - writes about contemporary science, its insights, and the many connections that emerge between physical science and theological science.His critique of religion that is organized and patriarchal, is trenchant, even devastating. One thesis he promotes is that organized religion began about 5000 years ago, and promoted a patriarchal and hierarchical god0system that has been at the core of much of the evil that we have done to the planet over the centuries. He reminds us that for over 95% of the history of homo sapiens (over 2,000,000 years) spirituality was much less organized and was focused on living with the planet, who was seen as a warm, embracing, potent and creative female -the Goddess that organized religion has persecuted for centuries.
Now, I can't quite explain why this exhilarates me. O'Murchu seems to believe that the rise of patriarchal religion was an important step in the evolution of the human species, but seems quite certain that the time of organized religion is just about over. Another century or so - perhaps a millennium - and humans will move on to express our profound spirituality in other ways, as we did in the millennial prior to the Agricultural Revolution, about 8000 years ago.
I'm trying to understand why this outlook seems so hopeful to me. O'Murchu makes evolution an ally of "God sense" - the process he describes as' God's way of working,' God being the process itself, and not some "being" outside it. For one thing, his view allows and encourages one to embrace the idea of evolutionary process, rather than deny it or fight it. His view also makes sense of the current sag in organized religion in the west, as well as of the extreme forms of organized religion that arise as defensive maneuvers employed to "keep the faith alive."
I celebrate a much more open feminism in relation to the Divine (I'm never sure what to call this Force now), and a faith more dramatically 'spiritual' and less strictly 'religious.' So here I sit, looking at words which seem to predict the death of a system to which I have committed the most of my life, and I feel hopeful and comforted. Go figure…
At this point, Knelson has photographs displayed in two art galleries, is clean, works part time in the laundry of a homeless shelter, and lives in the only shelter in Canada that has dedicated space for an art studio - in Calgary! Knelson's long-divorced wife has made contact with him, and they have been reconciled. He will soon meet the son he's never seen, and his grandchildren! He's moving to Ottawa with his ex-wife, and hopes to start life over again at the age of 60. Wow!
When your vision is blocked by shadows, and your perspective has become twisted by the actions of the dark side of the "nice" world, you tend to forget that little miracles (Knelson's term) happen and people's lives are redeemed.
O'Murchu - a former priest, long divorced from the formal Catholic Church - writes about contemporary science, its insights, and the many connections that emerge between physical science and theological science.His critique of religion that is organized and patriarchal, is trenchant, even devastating. One thesis he promotes is that organized religion began about 5000 years ago, and promoted a patriarchal and hierarchical god0system that has been at the core of much of the evil that we have done to the planet over the centuries. He reminds us that for over 95% of the history of homo sapiens (over 2,000,000 years) spirituality was much less organized and was focused on living with the planet, who was seen as a warm, embracing, potent and creative female -the Goddess that organized religion has persecuted for centuries.
Now, I can't quite explain why this exhilarates me. O'Murchu seems to believe that the rise of patriarchal religion was an important step in the evolution of the human species, but seems quite certain that the time of organized religion is just about over. Another century or so - perhaps a millennium - and humans will move on to express our profound spirituality in other ways, as we did in the millennial prior to the Agricultural Revolution, about 8000 years ago.
I'm trying to understand why this outlook seems so hopeful to me. O'Murchu makes evolution an ally of "God sense" - the process he describes as' God's way of working,' God being the process itself, and not some "being" outside it. For one thing, his view allows and encourages one to embrace the idea of evolutionary process, rather than deny it or fight it. His view also makes sense of the current sag in organized religion in the west, as well as of the extreme forms of organized religion that arise as defensive maneuvers employed to "keep the faith alive."
I celebrate a much more open feminism in relation to the Divine (I'm never sure what to call this Force now), and a faith more dramatically 'spiritual' and less strictly 'religious.' So here I sit, looking at words which seem to predict the death of a system to which I have committed the most of my life, and I feel hopeful and comforted. Go figure…
What a great story. I Googled Reg Knelsen to see what he was up to in Ottawa, where I live. Haven't found anything yet, but there are some great articles and video clips on his journey and community work on the 'Net. Thanks for starting my day off on such a positive note! (p.s. how did the snowblowing go??) love you, J http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/local/article/1035698--the-fine-art-of-healing
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