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Spirituality, Religion And The Blessed Revolution
By Dave Andrews
Release on Sunday 31st of January 2021
10 - Contemplation In Action
Video transcript
I think it's helpful to learn the Beatitudes off by heart. So that they become a framework for living that we internalize that begins to shape our response. And I think it's helpful for us to meditate on that day and night. But I would say the most important part, the most important time for reflecting on that, Is in the nanosecond between action and reaction in the constant ebb and flow and busyness of life. Because the revolution succeeds or fails depending on our response. I believe we need to be able, in the busyness of life, to slow down, so we have the time between our action and reaction to process our response, and then shape our response in terms of the Beatitudes. That's where the revolution is won or lost. And I think we need to not only do contemplation upon action, we need to do contemplation in action so we actually reflect on the Beatitudes and then process our reactions in the light of Beatitudes. And so that we respond creatively and constructively. So we don't destroy the very communities that we're trying to nurture.
Suggestions for Meditation, Discussion And Action
How can you slow down your reactions so that you don’t react too quickly?
In time between action and reaction how can you process your response?
How do you think that you might process your responses better in future?
Quote from Dave's new book: To Right Every Wrong
'Recently, I found myself in a very confronting situation when I reached out to an old friend whom I hadn’t met with for years and suggested that we catch up over a cup of coffee. I knew the meeting would not be without its challenges. My friend, whom we’ll call Gordon, is a very strong—some would say strident — conservative pastor, who prides himself on maintaining a strict code of evangelical orthodoxy in his church and vigorously encouraging those who might disagree to go to another church.
After greeting each other, taking our seats and ordering our drinks, Gordon started our conversation by abruptly announcing that he had met with me so he could check up on me and see if I was still a Christian. He then proceeded to go through his checklist for evangelical orthodoxy… What I thought would be a conversation had quickly turned into an interrogation. I knew that my answers to those questions wouldn’t be exactly the same as his answers to those questions, and I also knew that if I didn’t give him the answers that he wanted, he would disavow me, and I would miss any chance I might have to reconnect with him.
What was I to do? I was tempted to confront him about the disgraceful way he was treating me, … but I reminded myself of the dangers inherent in confrontation, of the way I might end up mirroring his behavior by being similarly strong, insistent and insensitive. I remembered that if there was going to be any hope of reconciliation, it was imperative for me to show real care for Gordon—even though I felt he was not showing any real care for me—by treating him the way I wanted him to treat me (rather than reacting by treating him the way that he was treating me).
In that holy, liminal space—that precious time between his action and my reaction, in which I needed to be converted again to true care—I listened to Gordon and silently prayed … And so it came to pass that I did not react. I did not counter-attack this man who was confronting me—in spite of my propensity to do so and my being sorely temped to do so. I simply answered his questions as carefully as I could, and then I slowly guided the conversation to his wife and family, the lessons he had learned in life, his hopes and plans for the future. And believe it or not, when he began to open up about a difficulty he was facing in his church, he asked me to help him.' To Right Every Wrong 287- 289
Dave's Song: Love reigns
From: Dave Andrews And Friends Songs Of Love And Justice - Love reigns
Table of content
- Spirituality and Religion
Experience and expression of compassion for the other. - The Gospel Of Jesus – “Heaven on Earth”
An experience that people can live here and now. - The Beatitudes From The Heart
Loving our neighbor as ourself. - The Be-Attitudes Of The Beatitudes
We need to sincerely committing ourselves to do the following... - The Blessed Be-Attitude Revolution
The radical, personal-political Be-Attitudes that are at the heart of the Blessed Be-Attitude Revolution are... - Liberating Jesus From Christianity
Jesus never intended to start a religion. - Liberating People Of All Religions
My battle is to fight that people don't have to become Christians in order to relate to Jesus. - Reciprocity As Our Responsibility
The Golden Rule is a classic example of generalized reciprocity. - People Of The Way
The Beatitudes of Jesus as a ‘Be-Attitude Revolution’ - attitudes that can help us ‘Be’ the change we want to see in the world. - >> Contemplation In Action
Slowing down, so we have the time between our action and reaction and then shape our response in terms of the Be-Atttitudes.
Dave Andrews new book is available: To Right Every Wrong
My latest book, To Right Every Wrong,
is a funny, sad, brutally honest retrospective, reflecting on what it has meant for me and my family to seek to live a lifetime dedicated to love and justice. The reflections in this book, subtitled The Making And Unmaking Of One Improbable Minor Prophet, come in three parts — the personal, the prophetical and the paradoxical.
The personal part explores my experience of the radical, compassionate spirituality that I share with my wife, Angie, and which has shaped our way of life as a family in community with marginalized and disadvantaged groups of people.
The prophetical part explores my embrace of the “strange”, “crazy”, “improbable” call I felt to be a prophet, which I have sought to flesh out in classic prophetic roles - as an interrogator, a protester, a practitioner and an inspirator - in contemporary prophetic contexts characterized by poverty and violence.
The paradoxical part explores my making and unmaking as a minor prophet, critically constructing and deconstructing the more confrontational aspects of the prophetic roles I have played in order to be able to practice more sensitive pastoral care.
The personal part explores my experience of the radical, compassionate spirituality that I share with my wife, Angie, and which has shaped our way of life as a family in community with marginalized and disadvantaged groups of people.
The prophetical part explores my embrace of the “strange”, “crazy”, “improbable” call I felt to be a prophet, which I have sought to flesh out in classic prophetic roles - as an interrogator, a protester, a practitioner and an inspirator - in contemporary prophetic contexts characterized by poverty and violence.
The paradoxical part explores my making and unmaking as a minor prophet, critically constructing and deconstructing the more confrontational aspects of the prophetic roles I have played in order to be able to practice more sensitive pastoral care.
Dave Andrews other books
Dave has written more the 18 books, you can find all of his books here: Dave Andrew's books.
Some of his well known books
Who is Dave Andrews?
Dave is particularly interested in radical spirituality, incarnational community and the dynamics of personal and social transformation.
Website:
Dave Andrews
Country:
Australia
Activity:
Activist, Community organiser, Spiritual teacher
Keywords:
beatitude, change, compassion, prayer, spirituality
Discover more content from Dave Andrews
Dave Andrews has 18 interviews on our website. You can watch all Dave Andrews's interviews here.
Here are some interviews available
- Spirituality and Religion - Spirituality is the experience and expression of compassion for the others.
- The Question We Need To Ask Ourselves -
- The Blessing Of The Bismillah -
Presentation
Dave, his wife Ange, and their family, have lived and worked in intentional communities with marginalised groups of people in Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal for more than forty years. He now lives in a large joint household with his wife, children, grandchildren and others in an inner city community in Brisbane, Australia.
Dave is particularly interested in radical spirituality, incarnational community and the dynamics of personal and social transformation. He is author of many books and articles, including 'Christi-Anarchy', 'Not Religion, But Love', 'Building A Better World', 'Down Under - In-Depth Community Work', 'Out And Out - Way-Out Community Work', 'Compassionate Community Work', 'People of Compassion', 'Living Community', 'A Divine Society', and the Plan Be Series - 'Plan Be', 'Hey, Be And See', 'See What I Mean?'
Dave and Ange and their friends started a residential community called Aashiana out of which grew Sahara, Sharan and Sahasee – three well-known Christian community organisations working with slum dwellers, sex workers, drug addicts, and people with HIV/AIDS in India. They are currently a part of the Waiters Union, an inner city Christian community network working with Aborigines, refugees and people with disabilities in Australia. Out of the Waiters Union has grown the Community Initiatives Resource Association, auspicing local experimental community activities, and the Community Praxis Coop, providing holistic community work training.
Dave is the coordinator for training with the Community Initiatives Resource Association, a teacher for Praxis and Christian Heritage College and an elder emeritus for Servants To Asia's Urban Poor.
Dave is involved nationally and internationally in interfaith dialogue and engagement. He has published three books of Christian-Muslim reflections - ‘Ramadan’, ‘Bismillah’ and ‘Isa’. Most recently he has published his ground-breaking, peace-making book - ‘The Jihad Of Jesus: The Sacred Nonviolent Struggle For Justice’, which has been translated into Dutch and German. Dave is sharing the message of ‘The Jihad Of Jesus’ with people in churches, mosques, seminars, workshops and festivals around Australia, New Zealand, the US, the UK, Europe and Asia. See events, reviews and interviews at www.jihadofjesus.com.