“Every forest branch moves differently
in the breeze, but as they sway
they connect at the roots.”
– Rumi
Christianity is the religion of the incarnation. Sadly, throughout much of Christian history, instead of embracing the divine presence in all of material reality, Socratic dualism and Greek philosophy became more prominent in the tradition. Misreadings of the apostle Paul did not help in this respect either. Spirit was set apart from and even put in opposition to matter. Many other spiritual traditions, including Christian expressions, further continue to reinforce this immateriality of spirit and separation of the mystical from the physical.
Thankfully, it is not only a resurgence of animist and shamanic spirituality that is reincorporating our spirituality with our bodies, but also science itself that is beginning to intimate that matter is far more energetic and dynamic than we once thought. This is, as well, in the roots of Christianity that saw God dwelling in flesh, not just in Jesus but in all matter and the whole of creation—which includes you and me.
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