Invitation to Love

Thomas Keating, Invitation to Love: The Way of Christian Contemplation. New York: Continuum, 1995. 151 pages.
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Last Updated: November 14, 1999

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Chapter 20. From Contemplation to Action

What is our responsibility for social injustice? Mythic membership consciousness answers, None: we take care of our own, and that’s all. And so human beings have seen slavery, apartheid, political and cultural imperialism, and acquiescence to movements such as Nazism. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers"; but he was not referring to mere peace-lovers, those who do not want to rock the boat under any circumstances.

"The movement beyond mythic membership consciousness is essential to becoming fully human." Most people still experience life in the mythic membership mode, even though humanity has accessed mental egoic consciousness since 3000 B.C.E. Nations also operate out of mythic membership consciousness for the most part.

"One cannot be a Christian without social concern." Greed is at the root of many of the world’s problems, including our stewardship of the earth. The teaching of Jesus was clear: we recognize and serve him in serving our fellow human beings, especially those who are hungry, homeless, poor, disadvantaged, and imprisoned. "Christ suffers in the needy and afflicted. Insofar as we access the mind of Christ, we too identify with the sufferings of others and reach out to help according to our possibilities."

In addition, our societies still retain the patriarchalism which results in unequal treatment for men and women.

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