Humans are mystical beings. We’re inquisitive. And whether we approach the universe scientifically or magically, rationally or spiritually, we are seekers for the Great Thing beyond ourselves.
I’m fascinated by all the approaches humans have taken, particularly in recent centuries. Institutions, like the Church, become comfortable with pat answers and over time become stale. And then there’s a periodic outburst from the fringes, people exploring alternative viewpoints, different angles to those same basic questions, offering radically different spiritualities which tend to scare traditionalists. I love that.
Whether it’s the “theosophical” thoughts from the late 1800s when the West was freshly exposed to Eastern religions and finding intriguing ideas there, or the more recent New Age movement, reinjecting a magical thinking back into our overly rationalistic mentality, and even the current trendy Deconstruction movement — to me they’re all the same response. People breaking out of boxes that no longer satisfy, and exploring other, more colorful, more personally meaningful alternatives.
I think this is all great! And for me, it is completely non-threatening. It is actually exciting and interesting. Cuz I believe in One God, Creator of All Things, and that God is BIG. And that God LOVES when people ask new questions, seek new angles of understanding, new ways of seeing and interacting.
An old German philosopher, Rudolf Otto, coined a phrase to describe the great Unknowable but Alluring Mystery: “mysterium tremendum et fascinans” — the great mystery that is both terrifying and fascinating, attracting. And ain’t that just a great way to approach life?
Image by PopcornSusanN from Pixabay