APRIL 2026 NEWSLETTER
- Robert van Mourik
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
GREETINGS
The success of our meeting last month reviewing our paper on Diarmuid O’Murchu’s book, Divine Radiance in Human Evolution (2025), led to even greater interest in our follow up paper and our discussion this month.
A Revitalised Christian Story
For long standing church goers, it is easy to think that theology and doctrine are settled and entrenched, however, since the 1960s, theology has broadened beyond predominantly European and male perspectives. In this paper, Developments in Theology, John Scoble summarises this recent history to help us understand how theology has shifted over two millennia. This history demonstrates that theology is dynamic, not static. It should adapt and respond to the signs of the times.
The Original Blessing story promises a much more meaningful and affirming existence for us than does the Original Sin doctrine. The myth of the world’s initial perfection risks divorcing our moral lives from the opportunity to cooperate with divine creativity to bring about what is unprecedented, looking to the possibilities of the future, not backwards at our ancestors.
The realisation that our lives are tied into a universe that still has a future, that it is a work in progress, requires a hopefulness that our own lives are linked to the universe’s own future. Otherwise, we may easily underestimate the value and significance of our own contribution. Isn’t this an idea worth pondering?
Now we can turn to reframing the Christian story. Not one founded in Original Sin, but one focused on Jesus’s emphasis on the Kingdom of God, increasingly reinterpreted by modern theologians as denoting a life of mercy, compassion and justice for all. Not at some future time but now.
Jesus, through his example, was demonstrating an alternative world view, unacceptable to those in power, so he was barbarically killed, but not as a sacrifice to redeem our sins. It was the outcome of living an authentic life.
This story has been corrupted by the overlay of original sin. As Ilia Delio has pointed out, this enormous influence has taught us to rely on external authorities such as divine grace, church authorities and other external laws. We have been trained to be co-dependent, to not trust our own capacities, our own wisdom.
For many years after Jesus’ death, his followers described following Him as the Way. Jesus showed us how to live our lives. To include the excluded, to show mercy to the oppressed, and all those characteristics we see immortalised in the Beatitudes. This is the Christian story.
What does this mean for spiritually awakening people? It means we should develop a worldview that recognises that God is within humans, animals, plants and all matter. Understand that humanity is not the centre of the universe; the importance of relationships over individualism; appreciating that we are all inter-connected; acting as Jesus would within our own spheres of influence; and taking seriously our responsibility as a cocreator of the future.
JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT BUTTERFLY SERIES EVENT
Imagination and Spirituality
What is the role of imagination in your spiritual journey?
Commencing with brain science theory and its application in Western Christianity, this paper outlines how imagination creates a bridge between inner experience and deeper truths.
BUTTERFLY SERIES
26 May 2026, 4:45 pm – 6:15 pm AEST
(Note 6:45 am UTC)
Virtual event on Zoom
EGISTER FOR OUR VIRTUAL EVENT
CAN YOU PLEASE HELP US?
Last year we sought to raise $5,000 to $6,000 to fund work to increase the visibility of our website to search engines. We are enormously grateful to Kate Dombroski and her team at Uforia for their support and heavily discounted fees; however, we have raised only half of this amount. This month we have also outlaid significant expenses for our mailing list software which is no longer free, and our website fees.
Consequently, we are launching a new appeal to raise $7,000 to sustain our growth and further website development. Can you please help us?
April 2026 marked our 50th Butterfly Series meeting and the presence of 15 first timers. Our records show that 155 people have attended at least one meeting and 24 more than 10 meetings.
In October we updated you on our efforts and the changes we have introduced have proven effective. In the last 90 days our website has seen nearly 2,000 sessions by 1,200 unique individuals. Our articles have an average viewing time of nearly 8 minutes, and our audience is worldwide, principally Australia, North America and United Kingdom, but also diverse other countries. Our mailing list has grown to nearly 400 and oftentimes our newsletters are opened multiple times.
It is apparent that there is a hunger for information. We do not hold ourselves out to be theologians or experts. We seek only to help you in your own spiritual journey by providing information and connections with other spiritual seekers.
NEW ON OUR WEBSITE
Articles & Book Reviews:
Original Sin Must Be Reviewed, an article by Kevin Treston
Recent Developments in Theology, an article by John Scoble
Evolution in Divine Love: The Eternal Becoming of God, Soul, and Matter by Swami Padmanabha, a book review by John Scoble
Joy in Being Possessed, a reflection by Genevieve Behan
This meditation by Richard Rohr on Original Sin is relevant to our discussion this month too.
Look out for our Kindred Spirits & Podcasts as we find inspiration from others. We include links to their websites and podcasts.
We can now list your neighbourhood group so that others can find you or be aware of you. If you would like to join the others listed here, please contact us! We are also aware of new groups forming.
Our website is constantly changing with new information. Bookmark our website in your browser and visit us to keep in touch.
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We invite you to get involved, have your say! Others may benefit from your experience.
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