Monday, 6 Jul 2009

By Hedley Beare

We live – but not always well – in an energetic universe (a ‘quantum evolutionary cosmos,’ the cosmologist Brian Swimme called it) where we must learn to live with ‘the other ten million species of life in a mutually enhancing way.’ The old Newtonian view that the universe is fixed, unchanging, inert, and largely dead is itself dead, replaced now by the concept that the universe is dynamic, expanding, and alive. Thus, says Swimme, ‘we are inside a cosmic process.’ If there is a dynamic life-force inherent in the universe, where do our praying and the Holy Spirit belong in the mix?

Our religious practices need to be consistent with and expressed in the modern terminology about the universe and how it works. If we cling to medieval frameworks – like supernaturalism, a three-tiered universe, hierarchies of being, dualisms, and supportive notions about imperialism, kingdoms and victories in battles – we weaken both the authenticity of our own observances and our persuasiveness about the Christian life. We must make translations, not necessarily to new doctrines but at least to new terminology and thought-forms.

Science-trained *David Spangler of the Scottish Findhorn community suggests six key characteristics about the ‘energetic universe’ which we can help us remodel what we call prayer. Any request, want, indeed, any planned activity, has a greater chance of producing desired outcomes if it harmonises with the patterns that run through the universe. ‘We do not program the universe’s forces,’ Spangler says. ‘We honor them, we respect them, we work with them.’ We cannot command, we can only act in communion with them. Our prayers will align with the universe’s patterns if we use these six guidelines.

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