The ancient name for God is “I-am-that-I-am.” For me, that means God is whatever is and not anything more nor less. All of us recognize the reality of the universe, of the elements that make up all that exits, of life itself, of consciousness, thoughts, feelings, hopes, and last, but not least, time. We are in awe of reality because we see magnificent order from the tiniest sub-atomic particle to the largest object in the universe, but we are at a loss to explain, or even understand, most of it. Everything that is or that can be is God because God is the “I am” of everything.
From this understanding, we come to realize that God is not a person, nor a separate personality, and does not exist as an entity outside of anything. God is the perfect cosmic pattern, the intelligence, and source of power creating all that exists and guiding the functioning and evolution of everything in our universe. Mankind is a spiritual partner in this cosmic expression because we are made in the image and likeness of God’s creative power and potential. Jesus invited all to follow his example of living in God’s reality. Every thought can begin a process of creating a miraculous new reality. As more of us allow our souls to be guided by the highest consciousness of love and justice towards one another, the Kingdom of God grows and expands, just as Jesus stated. This is neither a secret, nor difficult to do. All it takes is a personal, spiritual commitment to use our own knowledge and skills to help those who come into our lives and who need the assistance we can provide.
Expecting miracles from within our experiences of natural life is so much more important than expecting miracles of supernatural magic, that religious fundamentalism needs to be gently, but completely, set aside.
There is no sin greater than believing that humans are hopelessly sinful. Please be aware that the idea that Jesus had to die in order to forgive all of us of our sins had its beginnings in the writings of Paul, decades after Jesus' crucifixion, when he compared Jesus' execution to the sacrifice of the paschal lamb during Jewish Passover celebrations. It was further expanded by Saint Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, who wrote a treatise about it in the year 1097. From the second millennium on, substitutionary atonement became an increasingly significant element of conservative Christian dogma.
In contrast to that, Jesus taught that bringing God’s Kingdom to earth could only be done by joining together with him in peacefully confronting rulers of human empires until they yield to the absolute power of God's rule of unconditional love and justice towards all. He was the leader of a non-violent resistance movement. Just as Jesus was, we too must be so dedicated to living our lives in God’s spirit of love and justice that we willingly and peacefully face whatever resistance or sacrifice comes our way because of our discipleship.
Human concepts of power, wealth, or exclusivity are usually the motives behind what is described as sinful behavior. However, unconditional love and universal justice, independent of our personal circumstances, is the only way to create a life on earth of happiness, peace, and achievement. It is the sole human pathway to righteousness, the Kingdom of God, and the experience of heaven. It is the way of the spirit of Christ.
There is no sin greater than believing that humans are hopelessly sinful. Please be aware that the idea that Jesus had to die in order to forgive all of us of our sins had its beginnings in the writings of Paul, decades after Jesus' crucifixion, when he compared Jesus' execution to the sacrifice of the paschal lamb during Jewish Passover celebrations. It was further expanded by Saint Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, who wrote a treatise about it in the year 1097. From the second millennium on, substitutionary atonement became an increasingly significant element of conservative Christian dogma.
In contrast to that, Jesus taught that bringing God’s Kingdom to earth could only be done by joining together with him in peacefully confronting rulers of human empires until they yield to the absolute power of God's rule of unconditional love and justice towards all. He was the leader of a non-violent resistance movement. Just as Jesus was, we too must be so dedicated to living our lives in God’s spirit of love and justice that we willingly and peacefully face whatever resistance or sacrifice comes our way because of our discipleship.
Human concepts of power, wealth, or exclusivity are usually the motives behind what is described as sinful behavior. However, unconditional love and universal justice, independent of our personal circumstances, is the only way to create a life on earth of happiness, peace, and achievement. It is the sole human pathway to righteousness, the Kingdom of God, and the experience of heaven. It is the way of the spirit of Christ.
Within every moment of eternity that I experience, I dedicate myself to the only power there is and ever has been, God, the good.
