[Sundaycommunity] The Tomb is Empty -- sharing my reflection for Easter Sunday 2023

[Dwyer Sullivan]

Thank you Art for sharing your very deep and thoughtful reflection.  To
your credit you are on another level from me in your making sense of the
Cosmic Christ and overcoming the fear of death.
Thank you and have a great Easter week and year,
Peace, Dwyer

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 1:50 PM Arthur Blomme via Sundaycommunity <
sundaycommunity at lists.integralshift.ca> wrote:

> Happy Easter Friends and co-conspirators
>
> I am living a contemplative life here in Chemainus with lots of hard work
> getting back to Eden, partnering with creation to create a food
> forest(regenerative agriculture).  A highlight of my life is sharing my
> theological reflections. As the abundance of nature once again begins to
> rebirth I would like to share with you my reflection on the resurrection.
>
> Thank you all for continuing to be in my life.
>
> Art Blomme
>
> The Tomb is Empty
>
> In this Easter Sunday's reading from the Gospel of John the disciples
> discover the tomb of Jesus to be empty.
>
> Richard Rohr's latest book, *The Universal Christ*, has facilitated my
> understanding of the resurrection  according to  John's Gospel. "*Christ
> is not Jesus's last name,"* says Rohr.
>
> John's Gospel identifies the Universal Christ with several "I am..."
> statements. My favorite is "I am the way the truth and the light."  I find
> it very enlightening to reflect on the Universal Christ as truth, as light
> and as the way.
>
> In Chapter 11 of John's Gospel the Christ say's ”I am the resurrection and
> the life."  If the universal Christ is the resurrection then, I ask: What
> is the resurrection?
>
> Some contemporary thinkers see resurrection along the lines of
> transcendence. Transcendence is the act of rising above something to a
> superior state.
>
> According to Teilard de Chardin evolution happens in leaps. When  a stage
> of creation reaches the boundaries of its development a new stage springs
> forth that transcends and overcomes the boundaries and limitations of the
> previous stage. On a macro scale Chardin saw the evolution of Earth
> proceeding through three levels. Each successive level transcends and
> includes the previous level. Evolving from:
>
>    1. the geosphere(made up of all the planetary matter and evolving
>    chemical processes),
>    2. to the biosphere(the interconnected web of plants and animals and
>    their  biological processes)
>    3. to the noosphere which is the sphere of thought, culture and
>    communication
>
> Human consciousness and creativity are especially characterized by this
> transcendence. When limitations emerge that block human growth,
> consciousness and creativity can transcend those boundaries to create a new
> state that overcomes the limitations of the previous state. Today with the
> internet we have the facility to communicate knowledge and thought across
> the globe.  Chardin's vision of the noosphere is a reality today. The
> limitations to communication imposed by distance have been overcome
> enabling instantaneous communication to every corner in the world.  When
> human creativity meets formidable barriers, human creativity seems to
> transcend those barriers.
>
> One of the great perceived  barriers to our individual growth is our
> inevitable death. Even Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemene to have the
> cup of his death taken away from him. At the moment of his death  he
> despairs “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  Facing our death is
> difficult.  In the end Jesus chooses to accept his fate.  By embracing
> death Jesus transcends death.  He is resurrected.  He is one with Christ
> and Christ is the resurrection.  As St. Paul says "Death has lost its
> sting". The Tomb is empty.
>
> *Prologue:* For me this view of the resurrection only makes sense when we
> heed the words of St. Paul: "Jesus is the first of many
> brothers(siblings)." We share in the resurrection when we too become one in
> Christ.
>
> Biblical scholar N.T. Wright in his book "God and the Pandemic" talks
> about how  the Judeo-Christian tradition has historically related to
> pandemics.  Notable to him is the courage found in Christian communities as
> they fearlessly engaged in the reality of suffering from the plagues of the
> past, treating the sick, comforting the bible and creating hospitals and
> health awareness. Christian communities creatively transcended the
> limitations of the plague.  Fear of death incapacitates our ability to
> creatively respond to the object of our fear.  It prevents us from
> transcending the reality of our suffering. If "death has lost its sting" we
> can engage courageously and transcend our tribulations. As Einstein says,
> We cannot solve a problem at the same level in which the problem was
> created. Resurrected in Christ we are not paralyzed by fear.
>
> Art Blomme, April 6 2023
> *Arthur Blomme*
> Mobile: 647-719-7779
> 10351 Chemainus Rd
> Chemainus, BC V0R 1K2
> Email: art at integralshift.ca <art at integralshift.ca>
>
> ________________________________________
>
> Sundaycommunity mailing list
> To send message: sundaycommunity at integralshift.ca
> To manage Subscription: https://sundaycommunity.integralshift.ca
> To Unsubscribe send email to: sundaycommunity-unsubscribe at integralshift.ca
> To Subscribe send email to: sundaycommunity-subscribe at integralshift.ca
>
>
>
>

-- 
Act Justly, Love Tenderly, Walk Humbly With Your God
    - Micah 6:8
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.integralshift.ca/pipermail/sundaycommunity-integralshift.ca/attachments/20230407/18fbaf1e/attachment.htm>