Finding A Spirituality for Our Time
posted February 22nd, 2007 at 6:42 pm by Betty
I find in the newly discovered Gospel of Mary (Magdalene) a spirituality for our time. Those of us in our contemporary Magdalene community are continually amazed by its relevance.
Take the last portion of the Gospel when conflict breaks out in the community. This happens just after Mary has spoken her truth. Andrew cannot understand her vision and declares her ideas are “strange.” Peter goes further, utterly repudiating her views as unfaithful to the teachings of Jesus.
Agreement is apparently complicated for this early second century group, as it is for us today. Yet in the end the gospel is quite clear: different views and different spiritual paths are to be recognized and accepted within the community. We are not expected to be “the same.”
And there is a word of caution about not laying down any rules or laws that might eventually come to enslave us.
Our Magdalene community seeks conversation and dialogue within our own community and with other spiritualities and religious traditions. We are bridge-builders and connectors, hopeful in our desire to deepen relationships.
Yet, like Mary, we must speak our truth. Connection cannot be bought at the expense of our truth. And we must trust ourselves when a relationship has become more coercive than freeing and has broken away from mutual respect.
I hope you will find some relevance here for today and will join me with your thoughts.
spirituality
mary magdalene
episcopal
interfaith
religion
culture
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February 23rd, 2007 at 10:33 am
Betty,
As a member of the Magdalene Community, I cannot agree more. I am finding that speaking my truth in the respectful atmosphere we try with all our might to maintain is as important as the connection we seek with other “truths.” I hope and pray with all my heart that Mary Magdalene’s truth will seep its way into the hearts and minds of those from whom we must distance ourselves in order to be free to follow our own spiritual path.
Bridgitt
February 25th, 2007 at 12:03 am
Hello Betty, Bridgitt and all,
There is something wholesome and enlivening in dialogues that reach across differences to enrich both parties.
One of the strands of practice in contemporary Christianity that I find particularly meaningful and relevant to the direction provided in the Gospel of Mary is the practice of Christian Meditation, based on the teachings of John Main.
A little visit to Google, gives me this lead to activities in Houston — http://www.houstoncontemplative.org/christian_meditation.htm
And I see this event coming up — March 10, 2007 - “Catholic Tradition and Modern Feminism” presented by Brooke Deely. So, I wonder whether your group already has links with Christian Meditation.
It seems to me that both Christian Meditation and the Gospel of Mary are within the mystic tradition of Christianity. John Main says, “The purpose of meditation is that we can learn to live our lives as fully as possible in the presence of God. Learning to live in His presence means also being energised with His energy as we know from the Gospel His energy is love. Learning to meditate is learning constantly to be in this presence and to live out of that presence. … Meditation is a complete unity of body and spirit, still and present to God.”
It’s good to be not the same, but also good to find things in common, across the difference.