Yesterday we looked at inner journies and epiphanies in the light of the Eastern Church's celebrations at this time of year.
After the wise astrologers have left, it is said that to avoid the ensuing child massacre Joseph and Mary took their family to Egypt. Esoteric and Gnostic christians are fascinated by this journey. Into the land of alchemy and secret initiation. (The question arises - what had Moses and the Israelite priests really been learning in the Egyptian temples hundreds of years before? Whose version to believe? And had this learning anything to do with the Essenes at the turn of the millennium, and their connections?)
Anyway, some 3 decades later, we find the (Essene?) prophet John the Baptizer thundering with a preaching that leaves little to the imagination as to what will happen if we don't "come to our senses right now." (The world seems to need these people. Al Gore and John the B could be kindred souls!) And on to this stage steps John's younger cousin, Jesus, (a fellow Essene?) and asks for baptism.
The orthodox christian version is that John doesn't want to, feeling "unworthy." But Jesus says "Do it anyway!"
The esoteric believer may see in this dialogue, words of a secret initiation. But here the exchange is done in full view - and as John immerses Jesus in the water, there is one of those Heaven-Earth exchanges that radically alter our perception of reality - "You Are My Beloved!"
For some, this is when "Jesus became Christ."
Maybe. Maybe not.
But the point is the "Do it anyway"
- no time to "waste," anymore
- I Am prepared enough for what it is I have to do
- Immerse me in this flow
When we make this decision for ourselves, the Heavens may open and fire descend. Perhaps we are the only ones who know. Perhaps others may see. But in whichever case, when we let ourselves live the life that was intended to be lived in us we become the Beloved.
Not that we were anything other than cosmic lover and beloved. But in the immersion and the fire brought on by willingness and surrender to inner purpose, we suddenly know.
Let's do it anyway! Let's celebrate this Baptism by immersion and fire!
in Light
John O
Friday, January 5, 2007
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Time for an Epiphany
In the Eastern Christian world the "real" Christmas is not on the 25th December, but on the 6th (or in some places, the 7th) January. The appearence of angelic beings singing in the sky, may or may not have scared the "poor shepherds" witless (and may or may not have occurred, depending on your attitude to the viabilility of the "historical Jesus,") but the Eastern church chose long ago not to concentrate on this. Instead, by emphasising the celebration in January, she moved the focus from In-fleshness, incarnation, to God-Manifestation, epifania. (Hence our word "epiphany" - a realization of the essence or meaning of something, as Wikipedia calls it.)
It may seem odd that the church draws attention to how eastern sages used astrology and magic to find the Christ-child (the gospel reading for the 6th January.) Why rejoice over ancient wise astrologers following their inner and outer knowledge, whilst seeming to decry and villify modern astrology as an abomination, a pseudoscience practised by people led astray and worse "by the devil"? (If you want to get the full flavour of how some writers and churches view astrology, just google "astrology evil" - it makes for some very scary reading!)
Most church-people have not been taught about the early history of their church faith; this is "reserved" for the theological colleges. In fact, from the time of the early church fathers, many in authority have been very anxious that "unsuitable knowledge" should not fall into the hands of those "unable to comprehend it." The vehemence of the reaction to Dan Brown shows that little has officially changed. However scantily researched Dan Brown may have been in what he calls the facts behind his fiction, the result has opened the eyes of many to how receptive Christianity was in its "first years." Hardly an orthodox belief system, but rather, various strands and leanings, often held together by the transformative belief in resurrection, emphasising a number of different interpretations, and supported by a large number of sacred texts, (most of which had been "discarded" by an emerging orthodoxy when the Bible received its first official authentic form in 382AD!) Here was a "new" faith that was a part of (rather than apart from) the spiritual journeys of its time, enriching, explaining, clarifying many a belief already profoundly known, exploring and understanding the human journey of faith from a recently-transfigured perspective.
There was deep disagreement, too.
So what was the true nature of that which Christ practised with his friends, followers and disciples? Was the idea that we should (just) worship the guru as the manifestation of God on Earth? Was it that we should become empowered to live like him?
Like the early gnostics, I am drawn inexorably to the idea of facilitating the path of the initiate being led into empowerment by "adoption and grace," as Paul of epistle-fame would later write. Here "the initiate" is anyone who is willing to be transformed by greater truth, knowledge and experience (epifania.)
Many preachers emphasise that we "have to be saved."
For me the idea of "being saved" isn't foreign or "wrong" - I have many friends who have helped me "turn around" (the true meaning of repent) in times of seeming total desolation and helplessness; so that's the least I would expect of my God. But staying in a dependent place of "unable to help myself" is not helpful, and I don't believe that is what Christ meant us to do.
Repeatedly describing oneself as unworthy in a kind of abject neediness is certainly not the Christ's intention for anyone. (Ken Carey called this idolatory!) Empowerment and enlightenment are not just reserved for Buddhists. Intuitive knowledge and cosmic experience are not only a priviledge for a few mystics or sufi poets. We are all intended for wholeness; just as the body automatically tries to heal all wounds, so our nature is to come back to the whole, complete experience and manifestation of God within us and our lives.
To assist us, there are many helpers, seen and unseen, many tools, ancient and modern, and the God-spirit of so many names. This Saturday and Sunday, 6 - 7 January, I will join my Eastern friends in celebrating the wise use of all tools that have been given for our journey inwards to our deeper divine selves, and I will send deep love and gratitude to all my helpers in all realms and times as I celebrate Christ revealed and made plain in the world and in me.
These are my intentions:
- to celebrate the re-connection of astronomy and astrology, and the way the cosmic astrological map doesn't pre-destine but rather assists in the finding of intense personal, practical, spiritual pathways.
- to open myself to God-realisation; that the gifts I have been given may bear fruit in practical experience.
- to allow my attention towards my fellow human-beings to aid me in feeling com-passion, and to encourage me in bringing forth gifts of manifesting love and deeper community.
- to honour the paths of Eastern spiritual wisdom trodden during thousands of years by fellow humans, and to have reverence for the Oneness we all share.
I wish you a most glorious epiphany!
John O
PS For more thoughts on the magi/wise men, see Helen's blog at http://scripturereflections.blogspot.com
It may seem odd that the church draws attention to how eastern sages used astrology and magic to find the Christ-child (the gospel reading for the 6th January.) Why rejoice over ancient wise astrologers following their inner and outer knowledge, whilst seeming to decry and villify modern astrology as an abomination, a pseudoscience practised by people led astray and worse "by the devil"? (If you want to get the full flavour of how some writers and churches view astrology, just google "astrology evil" - it makes for some very scary reading!)
Most church-people have not been taught about the early history of their church faith; this is "reserved" for the theological colleges. In fact, from the time of the early church fathers, many in authority have been very anxious that "unsuitable knowledge" should not fall into the hands of those "unable to comprehend it." The vehemence of the reaction to Dan Brown shows that little has officially changed. However scantily researched Dan Brown may have been in what he calls the facts behind his fiction, the result has opened the eyes of many to how receptive Christianity was in its "first years." Hardly an orthodox belief system, but rather, various strands and leanings, often held together by the transformative belief in resurrection, emphasising a number of different interpretations, and supported by a large number of sacred texts, (most of which had been "discarded" by an emerging orthodoxy when the Bible received its first official authentic form in 382AD!) Here was a "new" faith that was a part of (rather than apart from) the spiritual journeys of its time, enriching, explaining, clarifying many a belief already profoundly known, exploring and understanding the human journey of faith from a recently-transfigured perspective.
There was deep disagreement, too.
So what was the true nature of that which Christ practised with his friends, followers and disciples? Was the idea that we should (just) worship the guru as the manifestation of God on Earth? Was it that we should become empowered to live like him?
Like the early gnostics, I am drawn inexorably to the idea of facilitating the path of the initiate being led into empowerment by "adoption and grace," as Paul of epistle-fame would later write. Here "the initiate" is anyone who is willing to be transformed by greater truth, knowledge and experience (epifania.)
Many preachers emphasise that we "have to be saved."
For me the idea of "being saved" isn't foreign or "wrong" - I have many friends who have helped me "turn around" (the true meaning of repent) in times of seeming total desolation and helplessness; so that's the least I would expect of my God. But staying in a dependent place of "unable to help myself" is not helpful, and I don't believe that is what Christ meant us to do.
Repeatedly describing oneself as unworthy in a kind of abject neediness is certainly not the Christ's intention for anyone. (Ken Carey called this idolatory!) Empowerment and enlightenment are not just reserved for Buddhists. Intuitive knowledge and cosmic experience are not only a priviledge for a few mystics or sufi poets. We are all intended for wholeness; just as the body automatically tries to heal all wounds, so our nature is to come back to the whole, complete experience and manifestation of God within us and our lives.
To assist us, there are many helpers, seen and unseen, many tools, ancient and modern, and the God-spirit of so many names. This Saturday and Sunday, 6 - 7 January, I will join my Eastern friends in celebrating the wise use of all tools that have been given for our journey inwards to our deeper divine selves, and I will send deep love and gratitude to all my helpers in all realms and times as I celebrate Christ revealed and made plain in the world and in me.
These are my intentions:
- to celebrate the re-connection of astronomy and astrology, and the way the cosmic astrological map doesn't pre-destine but rather assists in the finding of intense personal, practical, spiritual pathways.
- to open myself to God-realisation; that the gifts I have been given may bear fruit in practical experience.
- to allow my attention towards my fellow human-beings to aid me in feeling com-passion, and to encourage me in bringing forth gifts of manifesting love and deeper community.
- to honour the paths of Eastern spiritual wisdom trodden during thousands of years by fellow humans, and to have reverence for the Oneness we all share.
I wish you a most glorious epiphany!
John O
PS For more thoughts on the magi/wise men, see Helen's blog at http://scripturereflections.blogspot.com
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