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

Fri Apr 7 14:20:03 PDT 2023

Yes Art, a beautiful powerful reflection indeed! Thank you for sharing so
deeply!~

Peace and Blessings to you and the whole community!

Greg

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 2:45 PM Dwyer Sullivan via Sundaycommunity <
sundaycommunity at lists.integralshift.ca> wrote:

> 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>
>>
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>>
>>
>
> --
> Act Justly, Love Tenderly, Walk Humbly With Your God
>     - Micah 6:8
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