WEAVING THE CONNECTIONS
The Newsletter of the Center forWomen, the Earth, the Divine
Volume 9 Summer 2003 Number 1
Divine Wisdom
Her Significance for Today
Eleanor Rae
Part Three: Wisdom as the Matrix of Creation
The concept of the Wisdom literature as creation theology is not a recent development. It dates back at least to 1964 when theologian Walther Zimmerli identified the Wisdom books as suitable to such a theology. For example, he notes in Ecclesiastes that the Deity is preeminently a creator deity. All creation is beautiful and/or appropriate to its time. Psalm 104 and the saying in Proverbs 30 show that the sages did not hold a dualistic view of creation. They did not analyze nature in the subject/object manner that is part of our present times. They appreciated all things, especially all living things, simply for existing, for being alive. All had intrinsic worth and none was an object to be valued because it was useful. There was no sacred vs. profane; all was permeated with the divine presence. And the biblical sages, by reference to daily experiences, were able to draw people into the mystery that was the divinity. According to theologian Roland Murphy, the sages "penetrated into the divine mystery in a manner that even the prophets never equaled." Relating these views to our present time of environmental crisis, I might apply a wisdom spirituality to such things as the foods I eat or the way I treat my yard, for example, by refraining from the use of poisons.
Theologian Gerhard Von Rad also sees a holistic vision in the Wisdom literature. He contends that at the time, Israel did not differentiate between a life wisdom that pertained to the social orders and a nature wisdom. He also sees the continuity of the Wisdom literature as based on the view of Wisdom as self-revelatory. The Wisdom writers had unwavering certainty that creation herself would reveal her truth to one who becomes involved with her and trusts her, because this is what she continually does. Thus it may be said that understanding Wisdom is a way of understanding divine revelation. Though over the years, the interpretation of divine revelation as salvation history has been the more usual theology, I would suggest that seeing divine revelation in creation is a more appropriate theology for today. One obvious reason is that creation is the story of all of humankind—a story critically needed today if we are to all act together to save the Earth from ecological disaster.
In the Wisdom literature, there is no separation of the world from the creator. Held in tension are the all-pervasive causality of the divine (for both good and evil) and the autonomy of creation, as seen, for example, in the ants, locusts, lizards, and badgers who teach wisdom (Proverbs 30:24-28). Creation is understood as the revelation of the creator (Wisdom of Solomon 13:1). To see the world is to see the creator. The Wisdom literature does not focus on the world's origins; rather it is interested in the world as the place of divine activity, the place from which humans learn and to which they react, the surface of the Earth on which Lady Wisdom plays (Proverbs 8:31). Thus, for example, in Job, the first biblical book in which personified Wisdom appears, the Divinity reveals itself in creation and Job is transformed (Job 38-39); Job responds to this revelation: "I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you" (Job 42:5).
A distinctive characteristic of Wisdom’s language is that it is found in the public places where the people are gathered: in the streets, the plazas, by the city gates (Proverbs 1:20f). Is it not then even more necessary today, when our life systems (such as air, water and soil) face destruction, that the voice of Wisdom once again be heard in the public places?
We Were Made For These Times
from "Letter to a Young Activist in Troubled Times"
Clarissa Pinkola Estes
DO NOT LOSE HEART. WE WERE MADE FOR THESE TIMES.
Ours is a time of almost daily astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people.
The luster and hubris some have aspired to while endorsing acts so heinous against children, elders, everyday people, the poor, the unguarded, the helpless, is breathtaking. Yet, I urge you, ask you, gentle you, to please not spend your spirit dry by bewailing these difficult times.
Especially do not lose hope. Most particularly because, the fact is--we were made for these times.
Yes. For years, we have been learning, practicing, been in training for and just waiting to meet on this exact plane of engagement.
I grew up on the Great Lakes and recognize a seaworthy vessel when I see one. Regarding awakened souls, there have never been more able crafts in the waters than there are right now across the world. And they are fully provisioned and able to signal one another as never before in the history of humankind. Look out over the prow; there are millions of boats of righteous souls on the waters with you.
In any dark time, there is a tendency to veer toward fainting over how much is wrong or unmended in the world. Do not focus on that.
Understand the paradox: If you study the physics of a waterspout, you will see that the outer vortex whirls far more quickly than the inner one. To calm the storm means to quiet the outer layer, to cause it to swirl much less, to more evenly match the velocity of the inner core--till whatever has been lifted into such a vicious funnel falls back to Earth, lays down, is peaceable again.
One of the most important steps you can take to help calm the storm is to not allow yourself to be taken in a flurry of overwrought emotion or desperation, thereby accidentally contributing to the swale and the swirl.
Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach.
It is not given to us to know which acts, or by whom, will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good. What is needed for dramatic change is an accumulation of acts, adding, adding to, adding more, continuing.
We know that it does not take "everyone on Earth" to bring justice and peace, but only a small, determined group who will not give up during the first, second, or hundredth gale.
One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to standup and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times.
To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these--to be fierce and to show mercy toward others, both, are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity. Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do.
There will always be times when you feel discouraged. I too have felt despair many times in my life, but I do not keep a chair for it; I will not entertain it. It is not allowed to eat from my plate.
The reason is this: In my uttermost bones I know something, as do you. It is that there can be no despair when you remember why you came to Earth, whom you serve, and who sent you here.
The good words we say and the good deeds we do are not ours: They are the words and deeds of the One who brought us here. In that spirit, I hope you will write this on your wall: When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for.
This comes with much love and prayer that you remember who you came from, and why you came to this beautiful, needful Earth.
Clarissa Pinkola Estes is the author of Women Who Run With the Wolves
Associates of C:WED:
Eleanor Rae, Ph.D., founder
Giles E. Rae, publisher
Anne Andersson, editor
Representatives at the United Nations:
New York: Rosalyn Dischiavo
Lina Gupta, Ph.D.
Alayne O’Reilly, Ph.D.
Vienna: Susanne Schaup, Ph.D.
Mission Statement
The Center for Women, the Earth, the Divine is dedicated to exploring the parallels that exist between the imaging and treatment of women and of the Earth, and how our images of the Divine are related to these parallels.
We began by exploring these relationships within the context of our own tradition--the Christian. While we continue our exploration in this tradition, we have also engaged people of other traditions such as the Buddhist, Goddess, Hindu, Indigenous, Jewish and Muslim. Our work is made available through talks, workshops, writings and retreats. The immediate purpose of the Center is educational, while the ultimate goal is the healing of the Creation.
The founder of C:WED is Eleanor Rae, Ph.D., author of Women, the Earth, the Divine, President Emerita of the North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology and founder of the United Nations Earth Values Caucus.
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INTERFACE—John Surette
An interface is a place of heightened energy and deep creativity.
Consider the interface where the Divine and the human meet,
where a woman and a man encounter one another,
where the outer world touches the inner world,
where light and darkness dance together at dawn and dusk,
and where the ocean washes up onto the land.
In recent times, spirituality has entered into a serious interfacing with modern psychology, sociology and ecology. The most recent interfacing that has emerged within our consciousness is that of spirituality and cosmology. I understand cosmology here, not in the narrow sense as defined in the dictionary as "a branch of astronomy that deals with the origin, structure, and space-time relationships of the universe," but in the more comprehensive sense offered by cosmologist Brian Swimme: "Cosmology is the story of the birth, development, and destiny of the universe, told with the aim of assisting humans in their task of identifying their roles within the great drama."
Earth could not have been without the Sun, and the Sun needed the Milky Way galaxy and the Milky Way needed other galaxies that needed supernovas. This series of transformations leads back to the original flaring forth of the Universe. Modem cosmology's sustained meditation on this process has revealed that we humans have emerged out of this cosmic unfolding. We are who we are only because 13.7 billion years of the Universe's unfolding was what it was. Its story is our story. Our drama is part of its great drama. We can celebrate our spirituality only because the Universe's emergence through deep time had a spiritual dimension. Our spirituality has a macro as well as a micro aspect.
The knowledge of a seemingly infinite Universe has replaced the medieval view of the Cosmos as fixed and finite, with humanity placed in its center as God’s special work of art. Within this new understanding we humans have been pushed out of the center, residing as we do on the third of nine planets orbiting a very ordinary star on the long spiral arm of one of billions of galaxies.
However, this does not mean that humankind is unimportant. After all, we have made our presence felt in creative and destructive ways everywhere on Earth and now even out into the solar system and the galaxy. Some of us feel a cosmic loneliness and a diminishment of personal meaning in the light of this new knowledge about the Universe and we retreat into the medieval cosmology hoping for some security. This security, however, is ephemeral. Thankfully, there is another option for us.
We can experience ourselves as "those beings in which the Universe reflects upon itself in the special mode of conscious self-awareness" (Thomas Berry). We can meditate upon ourselves as "rock re-arranging itself" (Brian Swimme) or as "articulated stardust" (Elisabeth Sahtouris) or as "a threshold where many infinities meet" (John Donohue). We can celebrate the beauty, sacredness, and future potential of the Universe somewhat like the way in which parents celebrate the beauty, sacredness, and potential of their child. We can experience and celebrate ourselves as children of the Universe. We can picture God as being out in front, inviting the Universe to evolve into its unimaginable future, as in the Exodus of Israel when God was out in front of the people as a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. As the Universe continues to unfold, we can expect to be gifted with ever new manifestations of the Divine.
These are just a few examples of the many invitations and opportunities that await spirituality as it explores its cosmic path. Indeed, the interfacing of spirituality and cosmology has become a requirement for the adequacy and vitality of spirituality in this new century.
John Surette, SJ, is the co-founder and editor of Spiritearth. Most important in his life is listening to the Divine’s foundational revelation—the Universe—and helping others to listen and respond
Eleven Ways to Make a Difference for the Earth—Union of Concerned Scientists
Through an evaluation of the environmental damage related to various consumer activities, the Union of Concerned Scientists has compiled a list of 11 things each of us can do to "make every day Earth Day".
Transportation: With only four percent of the world’s population, the USA emits 25 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases. One-quarter of these emissions are from transportation.
1. Live where you reduce your need to drive.
2. Avoid buying an additional car.
3. Choose fuel-efficient, low-polluting cars.
4. Set goals for reducing car travel, e.g., reduce by 10 miles per week.
5. Walk, bike, ride public transit.
Food: What we eat determines, to a large extent, how the land is used.
6. Eat less meat: 10 pounds of grain (and the water, fuel, soil fertilizer and pesticides used to produce it) are necessary to produce one pound of beef.
7. Buy local and/or organic.
Housing: This single most important purchase that most of us make in a lifetime can make a difference.
8. Choose your house size carefully: those reduced square feet can make a difference to the Earth’s forests.
9. Target heating, hot water and A/C: up to 80 degrees during these hot summer months.
10. Install efficient lighting and appliances.
11. Purchase renewable or green electricity.