Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Everyday ecology includes collaborative caring

In today's post, "Wild and Wonderful Week", David Elliott writes about Thomas Moore's recent presentation, Ecology of Everyday Life, at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Elliott shares, "[Moore] is currently working on a new translation of the gospels from his extensive knowledge of the nuances of the Greek language and his extensive knowledge of classical literature and metaphors. Some of his themes were: taking care of your home, taking care of the earth, the critical importance of caring for your friends, being in touch with the past, discovering the sacred in nature, needing beauty. I was struck by his understanding of the Greek word therapia which is used throughout the New Testament for healing but actually means caring. If throughout the Gospels you say caring where the scriptures say healing, you get a whole different sense of the meaning."

After mentioning a workshop given by Dr. Randy Bailey of Atlanta's Interdenominational Seminary, Elliott writes that Thomas Moore follows the tradition of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, positioning us as "Collaborators in Creation." He continues, "When I asked Randy where a new foundation then might be found he would point through the sociology of the oppressed in the same direction. Social evolution is alive in us and what we do. Deeply understanding scriptures helps us discern but never relieves us of final responsibility."

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