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Questions
Consider these questions now. Return to them after reading this writing.
1. Who are you, really?
2. Are you driven onward in thought and action by internalized identities given you by other persons? Society? Religion? Family? What are those identities you have adopted and that form an over-all identity?
3. Why do so many professing Christians think and behave so contrary to the identity given God~in-Christ, while the Word walked this earth?
4. Who in your life urges you to live a smaller life than the identity you have in the One~Life?
5. Or you able to be honest enough with yourself to question whether you act contrary to whom God sees you to be? Or you willing to repent of denying any aspect of whom God says you truly are?
6. What is the difference between adopting a religion of Jesus and entering into the mystery and power of the Life of Jesus?
7. How does spiritual Christianity differ from the cultural, dogmatic, moralistic faith of many in our culture?
8. Are people still trying to crucify the Christ in their midst, through those who embody the identity of God~in~Christ, given to persons who have offered their false self to be put to death with Christ, so they might be be~ing the beloved of God?
9. Do you agree or not with the following? Possibly, the most dangerous place in our society for a person living his or her God~given identity in spiritual communion with God is the church? ~ Note: I did not capitalize the word church.
10. Compare where Jesus Christ was most accepted and welcome ~ not the places of worship ... but among those who were not welcome in those very places deemed houses of God. What might that say to you, or not, if you follow Jesus Christ, entering the identity he received in love from his Father~Source?
Scripture ~ Mark 1.9-11 (WE)
9At that time Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in the country of Galilee. John baptised him in the Jordan River.
10As soon as he came up out of the water, Jesus saw the sky open. He saw God's Holy Spirit come down on him like a bird called a dove.
11A voice from the sky said, `You are my dear Son. I am very pleased with you.'
Comments
Henri J. M. Nouwen, in Here and Now, notes the importance of this moment at the Jordan River in the evolving consciousness of the Word In-Flesh. Nouwen writes, "This is the decisive moment of Jesus' life."
What is decisive about this moment in the history of Christ? Can it be, also, a decisive moment for you, me, us, our world? The answers to these questions, like all evoking of Truth, is offered us only when we enter the Mystery of the intersection of time and eternity, Now. And, we might be surprised that the answer to the questions always lead us beyond our religious devotions to a wider embrace. Whole ... to whole ... to whole ... until we each and all are in the Mystery of Love.
So, first ... What is decisive about the moment in the history of Christ? Certainly, the Incarnation of the Word is within the one unfolding life of God. Christ Incarnate, Jesus of Nazareth, is, in the New Testament, seen to be emerging in consciousness; this same is offered to us. But, let us stay with Christ, presently.
This pronouncement is vitally decisive for Jesus of Nazareth in the unfolding life~history of God~in~Christ. Why? This event marks the identity that defines the be~ing of Christ Jesus, setting the parameters of the thought and action of his every thought and action.
What does this say about the identity of Christ? "You and I are in intimate communion; we are, because we are in each other." ... "I am dearly in-love with you; we are in a timeless and blissful posture of love-making." ... "My approval, delight, and blessing rests upon you; I'm so proud of you."
Nouwen writes of the decisiveness of this identity~relationship affirmation: "Everything that Jesus said or did came forth from that most intimate spiritual communion."
Now, about you ... us? What is our identity? How we answer that will decisively define our lives: what we think, say, do ... how we treat others and ourselves ... our image of the Divine. We are to embrace now and daily the identity and spiritual communion affirmed for Christ during his sojourn on earth.
The world needs persons who will embrace their true identity as beloved of the Divine, persons who will enter consciously into the intimate communion~in~union that is an integral aspect of each one of us.
Of course, there are some persons ~ possibly many ~ who will, meaning or not meaning to, urge you to live small, to act at a less than Divine~identity level. They will justify requesting you to compromise the identity given Christ. Some of the persons claim to follow Christ. However, they do not know how to discern in validating your identity in Christ, for they have never entered the birth pangs of a true, decisive identity translation themselves. They may have entered a religion of Jesus, but have not been spiritually freed and transformed by entering into the true baptism of spirit~with~Spirit, whereby the truth of their being the beloved of the Divine and in holy communion has set the parameters for their thoughts and behaviors. This is one separation between the "religion of Christianity" and "spiritual Christianity."
Spiritual Christianity is not a cultural adoption of religion, even Christian religion. Spiritual Christianity is entering the very identity~transformation and consciousness~emergence modeled and offered us to enter in the ongoing Life of God ~ Christ, through the agency of the Holy Spirit.
Indeed, we can no longer rightly speak of religious matters or theological teachings like salvation, born again, faith, grace, sanctification, agape love, Christian Perfection (wholeness) ... apart from our already~intimate communion~union with God and Each Other, all creatures, within a Kosmos aflow and aglow with Divine Word~ing. The Kosmos, place of the Permeating Presence of Love ~ Christ ~ is the spiritual~environmental home of communion~union with the Divine Word, through the Sacred Spirit.
The macro to micro is the bed of love-making between God and you. There, in that most intimate embrace, you find who you truly are, and no where else. Without such love~giving, life~affirming, spirit~releasing rapturous embrace, you are nothing more than a walking bag of dying dust.
Love!
Brian K. Wilcox
May 2007
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