My final question for Margaret: What gives you the most reason for hope?
Dear Paul,
Teilhard de Chardin writes prophetically of a spiritual evolution in which humankind is engaged. I’m sure he’s right, and I believe we can see this process unfolding in surprising and exciting new ways in our own times.
Over the past fifty years I see a significant rise in human consciousness, for example: in awareness of and response to the needs of the poor and of those caught up in natural or man-made disasters; in ecological awareness and an accompanying humility that recognises our interdependence with all living things and with the earth itself; in the accelerating striving for just and democratic political and economic systems; in the growing refusal to accept that violent intervention is ever the solution to any problem, and is unworthy of the human family; in the eagerness of so many young people, churched or unchurched, to give years of their lives to serve their brothers and sisters in the developing world, and in the courage with which many people are daring to express their disagreement with the dictates of unjust systems in both state and church.
And although it can look like we are on the edge of major meltdown, my hope lies in the centrality of the Paschal Mystery, which reminds me, hour by hour, that this is actually the pattern not just of breakdown but, more importantly, of breakthrough, and we see this pattern weaving through everything, from the Genesis stories and the Gospel through to quantum physics and chaos theory. There is life in even greater fullness on the other side of chaos, if we can only trust the process in which we and God are engaged.
Margaret
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh dear, you had me at Teilhard…
What a wonderful final question and what a wonderful final reply from Margaret. The hope of the Paschal mystery and the idea of breakthrough is a great way for me to begin this day, with this blogalogue. Thank you so much for today and for all of this!
Fran,
That “You had me at…” line has been used thousands and thousands of times but I bet you’re the first to say, “…you had me at Teilhard.”
Paul
Ha!!
“… if we only can only trust the process in which we and God are engaged.”
That’s it, if we only can.
Many thanks for this great series of discussions. We are looking forward to the next one.
Tim,
God is so good, how can we not succeed?
Paul
This is such an important reminder.
Frequently, in the church and locale in which I serve, people tell me that they wish we could return to better times (by which they usually mean the 1950s). I try gently (very gently, as it’s a perspective they don’t often hear) to remind them of the progress we have made in the last half century — toward justice for women and people of color, toward assisting the poor and disenfranchised, in awareness of alternatives to warfare and environmental destruction.
Even this week, with the horror of Colorado on all of our minds, we see that we are doing a better job of orienting our news coverage and our own focus toward those who acted with grace and courage in an impossible situation rather than toward the perpetration of violence.
These words of Margaret’s are an excellent call to remember that under and behind and around all such progress lies the pattern of God breaking through.
Robin,
What a lovely reflection. I very much like the image of “the pattern of God breaking through.”
Paul
That’s Margaret’s — in your interview! (I liked it, too.)
As I have been away I am very late to the party and have missed this entire Blogalogue with Margaret Silf but this is an amazing post which has greeted me on my return. We are a people of hope for we worship a God who IS love and asks us to follow God’s leading by doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with our God. The world depends on us to do this well in our own corner of God’s universe.
I hope you enjoyed the retreat Lynda!
Lynda,
You chose, to quote someone, the better part!
Great to have you back.
Paul
I am so with Margaret. I feel lately like we need to pick a lane and decide if we are going to be a people of hope or a people of despair. It is almost as if we are at the edge of something wonderful but our humanity, (in this case, what we see and/or hear, and only what we see and/or hear) gets in the way of truly believing in the Paschel mystery. But that is where all hope lies, for me anyway. I am also glad that she includes the “church and unchurched” because this evidence of humility is found everywhere.
My nephew, who is 31, and I had a wonderful conversation last night about detachment. He endeavors to lead people to a place of “other” thinking. He can really relate to Buddhism but really appreciates the teachings of Christ (which he was brought up on). This way of thinking, despite all the distractions for this genereation tells me that there is hope. There is always hope, we just need to trust God that God knows what God is doing in God’s world.
Thank you Margaret, you are balm!!
Annette,
Thank your for the reminder that “There is always hope.” I need to have that yelled into my ear every so often.
Paul
Annette I love your analogy “I feel lately like we need to pick a lane and decide if we are going to be a people of hope or a people of despair.” We were just having a simular discussion at our staff meeting the other day. I was pointing out that we would never be able to assist in the building of the kingdom if our words and actions don’t share how much we value the gospel and blessed we feel to be part of that work.
The Holy Spirit is alive and moving in the church and world even amidst the doubt and self-laothing which so often plagues us. We need to take a leap of faith and trust that we will be carried closer to God’s will even when we do not yet see the way.
Thanks Maura, I love the image, always, of people sitting around a table discussing the kingdom and our role. And I totally and completely agree with you about the Holy Spirit being alive and moving!!
“There is life in even greater fullness on the other side of chaos.” Oh Annette, you are right – she is a balm! And much needed today. I plan on savoring this line as much as possible through the chaos at work today.
I just ordered and am looking forward to reading “Lopez” — my first Silf book. I have a sneaking suspicion I’ll be working my way through more of them this summer and fall.
Denise,
I’m dying to know what you make of Lopez. Let me know, please!
Paul
Of course!
Ah, that final sentence is the big one. Trust, or faith, are the hardest things to hold on to when everything is going to the four winds. Please, God, give me faith.
Simon,
Amen. God, please give us all faith.
Paul
Thank you for believing that all will be well… Teilhard was a treat for me as well. To help the world evolve rather than devolve is a great source of guidance. It shows the path more clearly somehow.
Thank you for your wisdom.
Claire,
If we cling to the Resurrection, there is no bad news that will last.
Paul
I just wanted to says thanks to everyone.
I have been following but no words to respond came up.
Thanks for the wisdom, insights shared here.
Carol, any updates on Jen. I was praying for her along with all the PFOers while on retreat and I’m wondering how she is doing.
Hi Lynda,
Not too much has changed. Jen has to undergoe another 4 to 5 treatments of chemo.
She is suffering alot. This is a 3rd type of chemo.
They are running out of drugs to use.
Anyways her spirit is high. Jen is giving this her best shot.
Thank you for the prayers. It is wonderful and generous.
It is comforting for her and her family.
Hope you had a blessed retreat. Lynda
Carol,
There is a time for every season under heaven and there is certainly a time for “no words to respond.”
Paul
Thank you Paul.
I try to remember this when I find the well dry.
I’ll echo my thanks as well…hope is both harder and easier than it looks, and perhaps, for me at least, is possible only when cradled in God and in the community of God’s people.
One of my professors at the seminary used to tell us that when we were stuck on an exam question, to remember the answer was always the Paschal Mystery. He wasn’t joking.
Ah Michelle, “hope is both harder and easier than it looks, and perhaps, for me at least, is possible only when cradled in God and in the community of God’s people. ” We are cradled Catholics…I love that image…how comforting. Thank you!
Michelle,
Your seminary professor sounds like a cool dude.
Paul
I first heard of Teilhard de Chadrin in college many years ago. The concept of spiritual evolution sounded so hopeful to me then as it does today. I feel that the global spiritual evolution is also mirrored in each individual’s spiritual evolution throughout the course of his/ her life.
Thank you for this amazing series of comments from Margaret. I am looking forward to read the Lopez book
Anne,
Isn’t Margaret great? I hope you love “Lopez.”
Paul