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Spiritual Christian Blog UK, Sept 2011

The Monastery

I am so excited to find that The Monastery is now on Youtube. The same monk who later led the Big Silence - Fr Christopher Jameson, takes 5 men into his monastery at Worth Abbey, Sussex, UK for 40 days and 40 nights. The aim is to see if the monastic tradition has anything to offer the modern man.

In an extraordinary series of programs, we follow their frustrations and revelations. Perhaps most dramatic is the spiritual journey of a guy who works in the soft-porn industry in marketing. He has his first spritual experience on camera! Very moving.

This program was an answer to prayer for me. At the time I was living with severe ME/CFS.

Am I A Christian?

My beliefs in some ways do not fit neatly with those of the church. But as I became more and more compelled by the Bible and received great spiritual sustenance from receiving the sacrament through a weekly visit from a priest, I was asking God if I should now call myself a Christian again, and whether I should call myself a Catholic Christian.

I rarely watched TV. My friend rang and told me I must watch The Monastery, so I taped it and watched it in 10 minute chunks as my eyes and head would allow. It was well worth the trips to the sitting room in my electric wheelchair.

Here were catholic monks quoting Ghandi and reading books on how to lose the ego. Their faith is grounded in practical reality - the monks have jobs, one works with young children with Leukaemia. And their faith touchingly meets the men where they are and finds the best in them.

In my small world at the time, I met both a priest and a neighbour (non-religious) who used the same word to describe the TV programme The Monastery - compelling.

Truly beautiful, full of honest questions and enquiry, and extraordinary to watch someone have a spiritual awakening on camera.

Go here for a Christian Blog on another television programme led by Father Christopher Jameson - The Big Silence.

Spiritual Blog UK Nov 2011-

Christian Blog: Assassination of A Christian Who Lived For Peace, Unity, Religious Tolerance

On 2 March 2011 Shahbaz Bhatti, politician and activist was shot and died age 42.

I had not heard of Bhatti, but a friend sent an article from the Guardian newspaper, UK.

In Bhatti’s words, he wanted to:

Born a Catholic, in his teens Bhatti experienced a spiritual awakening to which he credited his life’s work to serve others as he believed Christ had done for him.

He founded the Christian Liberation Front (CLF) in 1985. The movement’s aim was to give rights to Pakistan’s religious minorities and promote interfaith tolerance. From the start, he received death threats.

The current intolerance of minority religions in Pakistan is all the sadder when one considers that Bhatti’s objectives were aligned with the vision of Pakistan’s founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This included pluralism, freedom of religion and the rule of law.

Bhatti’s achievements include

• a 5% minorities quota in government jobs


• minority seats in the Senate for the first time


• a 24 hour minorities helpline.

Two wonderful quotes from The Guardian article:

So true. To embark on changing situations in which there seems little chance of change, we rely not on our strength, but on a strength we can draw on that is beyond us. We learn that this is the only strength we have.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?”
(Psalm 27:1, KJV)

We see here how many Muslim leaders within Pakistan want a country of peace and tolerance. They were prepared to engage in interfaith dialogue with Shahbaz Bhatti even though it might bring danger to themselves. I thank God for their courage.

I hold a place for the people of Pakistan.
May God continue to guide them and strengthen them.
May he give them and us a revelation of the Love that sees us
all as One.

Move from this Christian blog to the next page of the spiritual blog - An Interfaith Initiative To Celebrate Our Oneness

Other Christian Blogs:

THE BIG SILENCE - 5 people find out the benefits of silence. What does it reveal about themselves and God

Anthony de Mello - A JOYFUL JESUIT priest influenced by Buddhism Christian Blog On Easter - Jesus Did Not Give In To The Ego

Christian Interfaith Quotes - Bible verses that encourage religious unity

What is Non Duality? - A Christian blog from a non dual perspective

Full List of Articles on the Spiritual Blog UK

Move from Christian Blog to the home page - How To Deepen Our Spirituality