Chris,
I would not argue with one who seeks to do the things that Jesus spoke of. I believe that all who have not done so have not found their true spirituality. I believe the death, judgement, and rebirth occurs in the here and now. Jesus certainly did not debate, for he knew he was right. He also did not care what others thought of him. For this reason, to me, "there really is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ." refers not to the personage, or the name, but to the ideas and process of spiritual growth. Jesus gave everyone the power over the grave. One simply has to accept that they are their spirit, and not their body. The grave is merely where the vessel will be laid to rest. The power or lack thereof, is in the form of that belief. If, as Jesus said, you are saved by this belief, then you are already immortal. And not to know it and to live in worship of and fear of damage to our bodies has been a form of Hell on Earth. A true teacher does not want to be copied, he wants the student to learn so that he can do for himself. He doesn't want the credit, he only wants to be spoken of with fondness. If you or I passed away in our sleep tonight, tomorrow we would still be somewhere. Many other teachers taught these same things as Jesus did. If one goes through the same process of spiritual growth and arrives at the same place, I doubt they will check our cards at the door to see if we spell Jesus as Jesus, Yeshua, Lord, God, Buddha, Amenta, Ra, or what have you. If God wanted all to worship the manifestation of love and wisdom with the same name and visage, he would not have given the peoples of the world to speak in different tongues, he would have had Jesus appear everywhere to everyone, or he would've waited to be on CNN. ; ) A diamond has many facets. They all reflect the same light from different places, and all the light passes through and is seen in the facet called the Crown. The diamond I struggle to uncover within my own soul contains all the colors, and I did not know it. The teachings of Jesus, Yeshua, Buddha, the Egyptians, and many others were the prism that led me to see the rainbow in the white light. A bee sees in ultraviolet. He may see something that I do not. Because I cannot see it does not mean it is not real, it simply means that I have learned about another kind of light. The Bible speaks of a land of milk and honey. Honey is milk to a bee. I believe that more than anything, Jesus was trying to teach a new way to see. To recognize that the world is not defined by our own present state of learning and perceptions, and that since perceptions may be changed, the world itself that we see is so changed. Maybe Jesus did not debate not because he knew he was right and they were wrong, but that as they attempted to argue with him unknowingly, Jesus could see the light of their spirit in them, and knew the good that they truly were. If this is the way to God through Jesus, then I am all for it, by this, or any other name. Let us not confuse the contents with the packages that we see. : )
Revelations speaks of the breaking of seals. Many suppose these seals are in a final Judgement, and that the seals keep out unimaginable horrors. What if instead, the Judgement is a process of growth for the living? What if those seals are within our own spirit, and constructed by us to separate us from others, and those parts of ourselves that would require painful examination, and growth? What if by understanding it in this way, the fire of the the spirit grows brighter and brighter, and melts seal after seal, until our love knows no bounds? The end of the Bible, most of all, is written for believers. Jesus taught that believers will not die. So none of the threatening, nasty interpretations then apply. Revelations is not about dying, it is about how to live. You don't have to trust that Jesus knew the way to God, because he told us how. Others before and since have given the same message. The question is whether we will get down to the real work of dissolving the seals.
Revelations "He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death."
The first death is the death of the belief that we are our body, and other ideas that separate us and our brothers from God.
Once these are gone, the actual death of our physical body holds no fear, as the seals within us that would keep us from God are dissolved. Jesus taught that we need not wait until the body is about to die to melt the seals, and remove that which would separate us and our brothers from God. We can do so now, and choose to see that which identifies us all as children of God, instead of that which would keep us apart. Anyone who teaches the same, by any name, is one I hope to recognize as on the same path. If I do not, then I must examine myself to make sure it is not I who have gone wrong. A brighter light and a higher flame require a broader path, lest they burn all that walk with them. This is what I am currently trying to take beyond an intellectual understanding, and release as a part of myself that has been hidden much too long. To me, this lesson is the entire purpose of a lifetime, and what we were separated and put into linear time to learn. I hope I get it right sooner than later. : )
Peace,
Darrin |
