Kabbalah Spirituality

Is it the latest designer fad or just an expression of peoples search for the mystical and unseen 'other' which might bring some greater meaning, direction and purpose to life? With devotees including Madonna, Demi Moore and Britney Spears we don't seem to hear quite so much of Deepak Chopra these days.

Derived from a Jewish faith history Kabbalah's Centres and spirituality revolves around a writing called the Zohar which is described as wisdom bringing light to darkness. There's a sense that the 'getting of wisdom and insight' is part of a journey of discovery and should be celebrated and embraced!! Not to forget the books and merchandise... A very clever sign of the devotee is a piece of red string tied around the left wrist [preferably tied by a Jewish Rabbi] which is left on until it frays and falls off and is then replaced. This is to ward off the 'Evil Eye' but is just as likely to be a trendy Hollywood fashion accessory in coming months!!

It reminds me of those WWJD wristbands, which if it helps you live as Gods person in your day to day life, then good for you.... but to my mind would be much better replaced by WDJD or 'what did Jesus do?' as a reminder to not just see the life and meaning of all that Jesus stood for through the eyes of Paul, but to read and grapple with the actual stories themselves!! The rule and reign of God is a coherent set of counter cultural values and ideas which change the world where they are lived out! What Jesus stood for goes way beyond any three verse catch cry from Corinthians! The diversity this brings still means lots of individual emphasis or focus, use of different gifts and people seeing different things as being important... but is all about unity around a central goal of understanding what Jesus came to do and be and seeking to be a follower of that...

So, here's a thought.... my friends and I used to waste idle afternoons trying to guess from our experience of the 70s and 80s, what would be the next fashion trend to return [getting it right with Converse Basketball Gym Shoes, the return of the safety glasses sunnies, ugh boots, truckers hats etc] So for a change here's a chance to get ahead of a trend....


As a reminder to us of WDJD I suggest we all start wearing a BLACK piece of string on our wrists [next to your Blackstump wristband for some!!]... symbolising our commitment to be counter cultural, to buck the trend, to march to the beat of a different drum... to say I am a follower of Jesus and it makes a difference to who I am and how I live BUT more importantly for that to be true!!

Stay tuned for BLACK STRING kits from the Uniting Church in Australia NSW Synod Youth Unit!!