By Rev. John Cunningham
CLERGY CORNER -- Feb 07, 2004 -- Link to Article
The Rev. John Cunningham is pastor of St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Higley.
I was 16 when I was introduced to the works of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955). He was a Jesuit paleontologist who created a synthesis of science and faith.
Teilhard's big idea was the spiritual heart of evolution - the rise of consciousness. Over the next few years, I devoured many of his books.
It was as if, for the first time, someone had put into words my budding fascination with the world. Teilhard provided a lens for me to see the grand scheme of things and an evolutionary perspective with which to understand the universe and my place in it.
His Law of Complexity-Consciousness stated,
"The more complex a physical organism is, correspondingly, the more consciousness it manifests."
At 19, I first stood at the rim of the Grand Canyon, like a dwarf before a giant. Then I thought of Teilhard, and I realized that this geological spectacle had never thought a thought, registered a sensation or begun to feel wonder and gratitude as I did at that moment.
The difference was consciousness, that rare, precious, fragile light - our supreme value. Teilhard taught me that we are evolution that has become conscious of itself. He reasoned that if this is so, then consciousness must be present in varying degrees in all things, as an innate property of matter in process of organization. Cosmic evolution is a tremendous enterprise giving birth to reflection.
Teilhard studied the past to grasp what lies ahead. He came to perceive the universe as a single emergent process.
"Someday," he writes, "after we have mastered the tides, the winds and the gravity, we will harness, for God, the energies of love. Then for the second time in the history of the world, the human will have discovered fire."
This incomparable teacher lit a fire in me, with its light of understanding and glowing hope in the future and the warmth of a holistic, evolutionary spirituality.
When I gaze up at the starry night sky, I thank God for the consciousness that my body sustains. I have learned that through you and me, the universe looks back on itself, creates its future and is drawn to adore the mystery.
By Rev John Cunningham
CLERGY CORNER -- Aug 23, 2003 -- Link to Article
The Rev. John Cunningham is pastor of St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church of Higley, which currently meets in the Williams Community School gym of the Arizona State University East campus, 7006 E. Union St., Mesa.
There are two spiritual paths we can follow. One path emphasizes the emulation of a hero or sage - whose life invites imitation. The other path lies in the realization that what we seek to imitate is already within us.
The first path locates salvation elsewhere, the other reveals it as here and now. One way requires a savior - the other calls for selftransformation. Most follow the first path, unaware that the other leads to the real treasure.
When we say somebody is an inspiration to us, we mean that such a person leaves an indelible impression. Some inspire us so much that we feel we would not be who we are without them. But I'm convinced we could not recognize this inspiration or be changed by it, if the same capacity and qualities were not, in fact, present within us.
For example, my late father had a quiet temperament and calm nerves. At times when I feel anxious, I think of him and how steady he was, and the worries subside.
What I think happens is: Those we consider inspirational activate or awaken similar energies within us.
In this role, they don't supply something we are lacking, but open our eyes to see the gifts we already have. The spirit of those who inspire us sparks our own undiscovered inner power. On the highest spiritual plane, this leads to the discovery of our inner divinity.
With gratitude for the teachers and guides along the way, ultimately we must grow up and claim our own spiritual authority.
History's religious giants all knew this. They did not teach childish dependence or slavish imitation, but encouraged us as partners to get on with the journey.
Though we cannot walk in one another's shoes, we can share the light that shines through many lamps.