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While the
majority of Christendom has been seduced and mesmerized
by Purpose-Driven, mysticism, the
emerging church and a watered-down gospel, interspirituality
is on the move. Evangelical leaders as well as New Age gurus
and other religious leaders across the world are joining
in this effort to find common ground, thus they hope, peace
and unity.
Wayne
Teasdale, a monk who coined the term interspirituality,
said, "[I]nterspirituality: a crossing-over boundaries that
mysticism
makes possible and concrete. The spiritual common ground
which exists among the world's religions will be identified,
and its theological implications suggested." In other words,
mysticism (i.e. contemplative prayer) is the common element
that unites all religions. According to Teasdale, who believed
truth and God could be found outside of the Christian faith,
that it is the bridge which unites all.
Tony
Campolo, a leading evangelical author and speaker says
in his book, Speaking My Mind: "[M]ysticism [contemplative
prayer]provides some hope for common ground between Christianity
and Islam."-
And we mustn't forget the words of Tilden Edwards, founder
of the very contemplative Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
who said contemplative prayer is the bridge between Christianity
and Far Eastern religions.
Why do these men say this? Do they know something that many
others don't? Yes, they do. They know that going into the
silence, into the altered state of consciousness takes the
practitioner into a spiritual realm. They believe this realm
is God, Divinity. And they believe anyone can enter this
realm. That is why Campolo said mysticism is the link between
Christianity and Islam. He believes the same God is reached.
While the push for interspirituality grows at alarming speeds
throughout the world, born-again believers are going to
be pushed outside of the organized evangelical church and
considered to be the main obstacle from bringing the world
into unity and peace. It's happened before in history, and
it appears to be happening again.
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