These days of the Dark Night of soul, society and our species, I find myself returning frequently to the wisdom of the mystics who dare to speak of the dark night, as well of the ecstasies of life and God and our souls. Of the Sacred or Holy as well as Evil.
Rabbi Heschel is such a mystic. As he puts it, The Biblical answer to evil is not the good but the holy. It is an attempt to raise humans to a higher level of existence, where humanity is not alone when confronted with evil. Living in ‘the light of the face of God’ bestows on humans a power of love that enables them to overcome the powers of evil.
It is by way of mitzvah that we experience the holy. Holiness arrives by way of good deeds.What is a mitzvah? “A prayer in the form of a deed.” Good deeds and standing up to evil usher in the Holy. The Via Transformativa is as valid a prayer as praise or forgiveness.
In the light of the Bible, the good is more than a value; it is a divine concern, a way of God….He is present in all our deeds….There is no reverence for God without reverence for humans. Love of humans is the way to the love of God.
But it all begins with the Via Positiva and the truth of original blessing. The idea with which Judaism starts is not the realness of evil or the sinfulness of man, but rather the wonder of creation and the ability of man to do the will of God.*
Another person I find myself drawn to in particular in times of darkness is Hildegard of Bingen, for she teaches not only in words but also in poetry and music and lyrics and opera and paintings.
It is in these paintings especially that she addresses vividly her theology of evil. In many ways Evil begs to be painted and not just discoursed about. For Evil, like the Sacred, is beyond mere words.
Of course, pictures take us deeper than language. Images invite images from ourselves. Color, form, and shape are all part of the story that evil weaves. So there is a kind of invitation to participation on Hildegard’s part that she is extending to us, so we are not just spectators sitting on the side of history but actual participants. Not unlike what Jesus did by way of his parables.
Yesterday I received in the mail from a former student of mine the following response to a Hildegard painting and commentary I shared in a recent DM: “Here is the one sentence that may indeed change my life again forever: ‘They become other Christs, other anointed mountains of God.’”
*Abraham Joshua Heschel, God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism, pp. 375-378.
Matthew Fox, Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen.
And Fox, Hildegard of Bingen: A Saint For Our Times.
And Fox, ed., Hildegard of Bingen’s Book of Divine Works with Letters and Songs.
See Matthew Fox and Rupert Sheldrake, The Physics of Angels: Exploring the Realm Where Science and Spirit Meet.
See Fox, Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ.
And Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society.
And Fox, Original Blessing: A Primer on Creation Spirituality.
To read the transcript of Matthew Fox’s video meditation, click HERE.
Banner Image: Moonrise on a foggy night. Photo by Sylvester Sabo on Unsplash.
Queries for Contemplation
Are you busy making mitzvah and holiness, namely “prayers in the form of deeds”? Do Hildegard’s paintings of both evil and the sacred assist you in that blessed task? And her refusal to deny that evil is real? Are you another Christ and ‘anointed mountain of God’?
Recommended Reading
Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen
An introduction to the life and work of Hildegard of Bingen, Illuminations reveals the life and teachings of one of the greatest female artists and intellectuals of the Western Mystical Tradition. At the age of 42, she began to have visions; these were captured as 36 illuminations–24 of which are recorded in this book along with her commentaries on them.
“If one person deserves credit for the great Hildegard renaissance in our time, it is Matthew Fox.” – Dr Mary Ford-Grabowsky, author of Sacred Voices.
Matthew Fox writes in Hildegard of Bingen about this amazing woman and what we can learn from her.
In an era when women were marginalized, Hildegard was an outspoken, controversial figure. Yet so visionary was her insight that she was sought out by kings, popes, abbots, and bishops for advice.
“This book gives strong, sterling, and unvarnished evidence that everything – everything – we ourselves become will affect what women after us may also become….This is a truly marvelous, useful, profound, and creative book.” ~~ Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism.
Hildegard of Bingen’s Book of Divine Works: With Letters and Songs
Today there are many websites and Hildegard groups that celebrate and honor Hildegard’s teachings, philosophy, art, and music. Author Matthew Fox writes in Hildegard of Bingen about this amazing woman and what we can learn from her. In an era when women were marginalized, Hildegard was an outspoken, controversial figure. Yet so visionary was her insight that she was sought out by kings, popes, abbots, and bishops for advice. A sixteenth century follower of Martin Luther called her “the first Protestant” because of her appeals to reform the church. As a writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, healer, artist, feminist, and student of science, Hildegard was a pioneer in many fields in her day.
The Physics of Angels: Exploring the Realm Where Science & Spirit Meet
By Matthew Fox and Rupert Sheldrake
When was the last time a scientist and a theologian discussed angels together? What are angels? Many people believe in angels, but few can define these enigmatic spirits. Now visionary theologian Matthew Fox and acclaimed biologist Rupert Sheldrake—pioneers in modern religious thinking and scientific theory—launch a groundbreaking exploration into the ancient concept of the angel and restore dignity, meaning, and joy to our time-honored belief in these heavenly beings.
Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election
Matthew Fox tells us that he had always shied away from using the term “Anti-Christ” because it was so often used to spread control and fear. However, given today’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables in this book employing the archetype for the cause of justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity.
From the Foreword: If there was ever a time, a moment, for examining the archetype of the Antichrist, it is now…Read this book with an open mind. Good and evil are real forces in our world. ~~ Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Conversations with the Divine.
For immediate access to Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election, order the e-book with 10 full-color prints from Amazon HERE.
To get a print-on-demand paperback copy with black & white images, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE.
To receive a limited-edition, full-color paperback copy, order from MatthewFox.org HERE.
Order the audiobook HERE for immediate download.
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society
Visionary theologian and best-selling author Matthew Fox offers a new theology of evil that fundamentally changes the traditional perception of good and evil and points the way to a more enlightened treatment of ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In comparing the Eastern tradition of the 7 chakras to the Western tradition of the 7 capital sins, Fox allows us to think creatively about our capacity for personal and institutional evil and what we can do about them.
“A scholarly masterpiece embodying a better vision and depth of perception far beyond the grasp of any one single science. A breath-taking analysis.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics
Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality
Matthew Fox lays out a whole new direction for Christianity—a direction that is in fact very ancient and very grounded in Jewish thinking (the fact that Jesus was a Jew is often neglected by Christian theology): the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality, the Vias Positiva, Negativa, Creativa and Transformativa in an extended and deeply developed way.
“Original Blessing makes available to the Christian world and to the human community a radical cure for all dark and derogatory views of the natural world wherever these may have originated.” –Thomas Berry, author, The Dream of the Earth; The Great Work; co-author, The Universe Story
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