Fifth Sunday After Epiphany, Year A

February 5, 2017

Jesus continues with his Sermon on the Mount this week. We are to be salt and light, he says. We are to bring out flavors that perhaps haven't been tasted before or are more subtle. We are to shine a light in places or ways of thinking that will bring us to peace and justice.

After-talk this week will focus on what this might mean. We will consider especially "non-dualist thinking" and the possibilities this presents in helping us respond to the world around us.

Cynthia Bougeault describe dualistic thinking like this, "In this operating system, you develop your identity based upon what differentiates you from everything else."  Richard Rohr explains that the dualistic mind, "knows by comparison, opposition, and differentiation. It uses descriptive words like good/evil, pretty/ugly, smart/stupid". The dualistic mind is valuable to our navigation through daily life but it doesn't, many would argue, go far enough, and in fact undermines the pursuit of peace and justice .  

Non-dual thinking, on the other hand, is about being in a moment without judging it. It helps us look in on any given encounter or issue with compassion, curiosity and love. Could this practice help us engage especially now when there seems to be so much at stake and so many differences to be overcome? 

​Read more about non dual thinking here and join us for conversation at after-talk this week.