Shadow Work

Over the last few weeks I’ve had several ideas for articles. One of them felt so full of energy that I stayed awake until 3am writing. I’m usually fast asleep by 10pm. Period. So, being pulled from sleep and kept awake to write was significant.

I’ve also committed to exercising two different forms of shadow work for the past 10 months: Jungian psychoanalysis, where I engage my dreams as messages from my subconscious, and a form of Buddhist meditation called Tonglen. This form of meditation involves inviting the suffering of others or yourself to take shape right before your eyes, or inside your own body, ask the suffering what it wants, listen to it, and then feed it.

There is something happening in the shadow that demands our attention; in the shadow of our families, our nation, our spiritual tradition, and us.

What’s happened since the night I was pulled awake is that I have felt completely confused and lost about what to say in a column such as this. It feels inauthentic and troublesome, at best, to write about these concepts as if I believe in them in a way that I think you, the reader, probably do. The truth of the moment is that I haven’t been gleaning much life from Christian spaces for some time now. All the while, I am slowly coming into awareness about the particular ways that Christianity has confused me about the truth of who I am. About how it has been used to swindle my ancestors out of practices, land, drums, and prayers that would have been truly liberating–if they hadn’t been whipped and beaten out of their brown bodies.

I am angry about the history of Christianity and its legacy, in this hemisphere and for the last 500 years, as well as earlier and in the eastern hemisphere. The evidence of this legacy continues to result in present day acts of racism and bigotry that damage minds and spirits. It is not enough to say that “those people” who did and do “those” things of the past are not like us, here, even as we cultivate spaces like Progressing Spirit. We are always in contention with the brutal legacy of this country and of the groups to which we belong.

I have previously had conversations with several folks about how un-christian I feel. I’ve been encouraged by others, hearing them say that they too don’t really identify as Christian; at least not in the way that the majority of the country understands that word. Initially, I felt some relief about this. It was nice to know that I was in good company as I moved into the next chapter of what felt like a faith identity crisis. Over time, however, I have started to feel more bothered. More worried. More confused about what it is that I’m really doing, writing for a Christian column when it feels like something major is still being avoided, danced around, and only talked about and worked on when certain bodies point out the lack.

The article I was writing until 3am was a piece about Jesus and the Syrophoenician (and/or Canaanite) woman. The one where he publicly humiliates her, calling her a dog and reminding her that he didn’t not come to help her people. I wanted to write about the way that even Jesus had to confront bigotry. How even the enlightened mind had to make a choice about what stream of consciousness he was going to participate in–the one of the culture of his time, or the one of the Creator. Even Jesus had to overcome bigotry. I wanted to encourage people to give up racism for Lent. To give up male privilege for Lent. To spend 40 days in the shadow of suffering, calling out the names of every woman you know who has experienced sexual violence. I wanted to ask readers to use Jesus’ example of overcoming prejudice and supremacy by pausing.

Waiting.

Listening.

And then pausing some more before accepting the truth and choosing to do better.

In the text this scene passes quickly. In my spiritual imagination I just cannot imagine Jesus rapidly moving to “Woman, great is your faith!…” Wouldn’t he have gasped? Wouldn’t he have stopped while walking with his annoyed disciples and wondered how it was that he could have even thought about calling this woman, this mother, this human being something outside of her God given name?

Wouldn’t he have paused?

I know Lent is over. But I think that if we each spent the last few days thinking every day about how we individually practice racism, misogyny, USA supremacy, academic elitism, spiritual elitism, whatever it is–if we committed to exploring that every day for the next few days I am sure that shift in consciousness would take place. Maybe not for the whole world, but at least for your world. Wouldn’t that be worth it to start?

The shadow that falls behind each of us has some shared pain. Perhaps I’ve been looking at it too long, trying my best to face my own shadow and noticing where it pulls in things that belong to more story lines than just my own. Regardless, I feel full of desire to heal it to the best of my ability. My form of Tonglen meditation guides me to feed the embodied suffering nectar from my heart. Over and over again you feed the shadow nectar until it turns into an ally, a teacher, a reformed enemy who has wisdom from a depth previously unknown.

I really don’t know if I am Christian. I really do know that I’m pretty sure I’m not. But maybe if some of the shadow can be turned into an ally I could reconsider. Maybe. I have a sneaking suspicion that something similar is up with the droves of people who presently want nothing to do with Christianity in any form. There’s just too much denial and too much looking forward without looking back and admitting the ugly truth that lies behind us.

This shadow is all of ours to heal. It belongs to everyone who benefits from the conveniences of this country’s modernization. We were built on a form of Christian principles. No matter how true those principles are to our current understandings of the Christian faith. We live in the wake of people who murdered in the name of Jesus. Lied and stole in the name of Jesus. Captured humans and burned books in the name of Jesus. Still drop bombs and plunder the earth in the name of Jesus. We will need all of our eyes to see the whole of this suffering. And we will need each of our hearts to generate enough nectar to fully feed and transform our collective shadow into a trusted ally.

If you feel at all compelled to commit your spiritual practice, morning commute, or late-night reading to gathering tools to equip you and us to slowly healing this up here are a few small places to start. When it comes to Tonglen meditation, please seek out the guidance of a trained meditation teacher who belongs to a lineage that understands the fundamentals of meditation. It is deep work and it is important that you place yourself in good hands to utilize that particular meditation practice. These resources are things that have moved me in thinking, feeling, and praying through/about shadow work; the only one missing from the list is therapy.

Please feel free to share in the comments if you know of other resources that offer empowerment to face an uncomfortable truth, and then accept it.

~ Toni Anne Reynolds

Read article online here.

Recommendations

Books:
Stand Your Ground by Kelly Brown Douglas
Engaging the Powers by Walter Wink
It Didn’t Start with You by Mark Wolynn
Bringing Your Shadow Out of the Dark by Robert Augustus Masters
Movies: 
Moana
Us
Articles:
How To Feed Your Demons
How to Practice Tonglen

About the Author
Minister Toni Anne Reynolds is committed to singing flesh onto the bones of the Christian tradition by incorporating recently found texts of the ancient world into liturgy, sermons, and poetry. Toni’s Christianity forms a holy trinity with the psychological medicine of Tibetan Buddhism and the eternal Life found in Yoruba traditions. Balanced in an eclectic faith and focused in theology, Toni’s ministry offers a unique perspective on life, theology, and spirituality.

Question & Answer

Q: By Philip
I come from a traditional evangelical upbringing and have embraced catholicismCatholicism. However, I am also exploring the more modern Christian concepts as related by Bishop Spong and Rev. Matthew Fox. I am very attracted to those concepts and want to incorporate them into my spirituality, along with Buddhist and native American wisdom.

But I still find meaning and comfort in traditional catholic practices. Living in the rust belt, I am hard pressed to find any congregation sympathetic to the newer interpretations and viewpoints of progressing spirit. I feel very alone in the congregation, but do not have much opportunity to find a place to fit in.

Do you have any words of wisdom or encouragement for a seeker who doesn’t happen to live in a progressive community where such a congregation can be found?

A: By Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox

Dear Philip,

Thank you for your question, I am moved to hear that you are continuing your search for a deeper and broader Christian experience and viewpoint than you were brought up on.  Indeed, there is much in what you call “traditional catholic practices” that is rich and deserving of our attention, as well as improving on and bringing up to date.

Since I was a practicing Roman Catholic for 54 years and a Dominican for 34 of those years, I know something of what I speak.  One example is bringing the Mass into the 21^st century with what we call the Cosmic Mass.  We have celebrated over 100 of these in North America, including one at the World Parliament of Religion in Toronto last November.  Bringing in the body through dance and post-modern art forms like dj, vj, rap, etc. definitely brings the Mass alive and invites us to pray with all our chakras.

As far as finding communities in your neck of the woods, there is the Benedictine community of Sister Joan Chittister near Erie, PA.  They know creation spirituality well and are living it.  There is also the international group based in the US called Creation Spirituality Communities (CSC)—look up their web page and newsletter/blog.  There may well be folks in your area who have created a community.  If not, you could always start one!  You can go online with the group and learn more about it.

Also there is the new Order of the Sacred Earth (OSE) which has now I believe about 40 “pods” or communities around the country.  They meet on line every month and come from a variety of spiritual backgrounds—you are welcome to tune in to that exchange.  The book that launched the Order, written by myself and the two young co-directors, is called: Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Vision of Love and Action.  Check them out and see if there is a group in your area.

In addition to adapting the Mass, I recommend adapting other traditional practices like mantras (the rosary is a mantra).  Take bumper-sticker sayings from the Scriptures or the mystics and turn them in to mantras.  My most recent book on Naming the Unnameable: 89 Wonderful & Useful Names for God…including the Unnameable God invites turning such names into mantras, a powerful prayer.

You are wise to explore the wisdom of the indigenous peoples and of Buddhism—I treat both side by side with our own Meister Eckhart in my recent book, Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times.  There Black Elk, Thich Naht Hanh, Rabbi Heschel, Coomeraswami, Rumi and others interact with Eckhart.  The wisdom of mystics across religious divides is so powerful and necessary a path to pursue today.

Other great Catholic mystics worth your consideration surely include Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Thomas Berry, Thomas Aquinas--rarely considered as a mystic but he shines forth as one in his own words in my book Sheer Joy: Conversations on Creation Spirituality with Thomas Aquinas.

Practicing contemplation such as reading the Scriptures or mystics and stopping when something strikes you deeply, and being with that moment, letting it take you into silence; or reading nature itself - going into nature and allowing it to speak to you; or centering prayer, for example as taught by Father Richard Rohr - these are also worthwhile ways to go deeper.

Also don’t neglect Pope Francis’ excellent encyclical on the Environment, Laudato Si (it was actually written by a former student of mine plus my friend Leonardo Boff).

~ Matthew Fox

Read and share online here

About the Author
Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox holds a doctorate in spirituality from the Institut Catholique de Paris and has authored 35 books on spirituality and contemporary culture that have been translated into 71 languages. Fox has devoted 45 years to developing and teaching the tradition of Creation Spirituality and in doing so has reinvented forms of education and worship. His work is inclusive of today’s science and world spiritual traditions and has awakened millions to the much neglected earth-based mystical tradition of the West. He has helped to rediscover Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart, Thomas Aquinas. Recent books include The Lotus & The Rose: Conversations on Tibetan Buddhism and Mystical Christianity with Lama Tsomo; Naming the Unnameable: 89 Wonderful and Useful Names for God…Including the God Without a Name; new paperback version of Stations of the Cosmic Christ with Bishop Marc Andrus.  A Special Eckhart@Erfurt workshop in June, 2019.
 

Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited

The Third Fundamental: The Substitution by Death
of Jesus on the Cross Brings Salvation, Part II

Last week we began our analysis of the third fundamental that traditional Christians stated, in the Tractarian Movement in the early years of the 20th century, was basic to a proper understanding of Christianity. It focused on what Christians came to call “the doctrine of the Atonement.” In many ways it proclaims a barbaric understanding of God, yet through the centuries it has been strangely popular and is regarded by many as the center of the gospel and thus is still powerfully defended in both Catholic and Protestant circles. From the doctrine of the Atonement has flowed the familiar language of sacrifice and the liturgical fetish that concentrates on the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. Protestants like to be washed in it to be cleansed externally. Catholics like to drink it to be cleansed internally. All of the traditional church references to Jesus as “The Lamb of God,” come out of this doctrine. As I sought to explain last week it reflects an ancient biblical definition of human life as that which was created to be perfect, to live at one with God inside the Garden of Eden, but which has now become fallen, banished from God’s presence and in need of divine rescue. Most Christian theology has traditionally been organized around these definitions, which over the centuries have been thoroughly literalized in Christian circles. Library shelves in theological centers the world over are lined with books about the saving act of atonement that took place on the cross. That theology, however, makes no sense in a post-Darwinian world that sees human origins in a dramatically different way, and so this understanding of the death of Jesus has become all but irrelevant in our day. That is why traditional Christianity seems so foreign to so many and why worship in our churches today appears not only meaningless, but sometimes even grotesque.

If one begins, as the Bible seems to do, with an understanding of human life as incapable of doing anything about its fallen and evil condition, then the task of salvation must be seen in terms of God’s intervening act to rescue the fallen and to save the lost. Human beings are thus reduced to being helpless, dependent supplicants who beg for salvation. It is clear, however, that this constitutes the frame of reference that underlies most of the Bible.

The Bible tells the story of God’s eternal search for a way to bring the whole created order, now corrupted by sin, back to what God intended it to be. That is why, the Bible suggests, that God gave the Torah to the people at Mount Sinai. If the people could only obey the Torah then perhaps their alienation from God could be overcome. The demands of the law, however, proved to be more than any life could achieve and so, as a means of bringing salvation, it failed. God next was said to have raised up prophets to recall the wayward to their original purpose. The people, however, did not or could not heed the prophets’ message and so drove them out of their land or killed them. Thus the prophets also failed to achieve a rescue of the fallen.

Next, the Jews sought to remove the power of their alienation by acting it out liturgically and so a day was born in the liturgical life of the synagogue known as the Day of Atonement. It was also called Yom Kippur. The way this day was to be observed was described in the Book of Leviticus.

In it the Jews were taught not only to identify themselves as sinful people, separated from God, but also to remember that they were created in God’s image and must yearn for restoration. Most Christians today continue to use the language of Yom Kippur, but with no understanding whatsoever of either the source or the meaning of their words. Click here to read full essay.

~  John Shelby Spong

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