How The Meaning of "Christ" Evolved

        The word “Christ” comes from the Greek word, “Christos” which means “anointed one” and it is derived from the Greek word, “chrio,” which means to “smear or anoint.”  All of the original New Testament texts were written in Greek so "Christos" was used when translating the Hebrew word, “mashia”  also meaning “anointed one” into Greek. “Messiah” is the English equivalent of the Hebrew “mashia.”

     Ancient civilizations made no differentiations between civic or religious duties, and every city-state or empire had its pantheon of gods protecting it. The kings or emperors in power were considered chosen or “anointed” by their respective gods and it was assumed that if everyone worshipped their gods properly, the kingdom would be protected from its enemies and it would prosper.

       Ancient Israel was no different, except it started more as a monolatry, the worship of one god (Yahweh) that was believed to be superior to all other gods who were also thought to exist. When you hear phrases such as “lord of lords”, or “king of kings”, that’s a vestige of that early Jewish monolatry. Still, the early Hebrew kings, (e.g. Saul, then David, then David’s son, Solomon) were considered anointed by Yahweh, and therefore were messiahs or divine saviors and protectors of Israel.

          However, Judaism following the Babylonian exile became strictly monotheistic, and Yahweh was then considered the one and only God with power over all people and all things. Many of the Jewish leaders were weak and ineffective which led to the Jews being a conquered people time and again. This created a longing for a return of a messiah, or anointed leader, that was as powerful and majestic as David, thus, the interest in the “line of David.”

      This longing and expectation by Jews for a conquering messiah while living under the harsh rule of the Roman Empire was the reality of the Middle East into which Jesus was born and raised. As a Jew, he, too, probably expected a messiah, a ruler, anointed by the God of the Jews to establish this new kingdom on earth. This was the message of John the Baptist which Jesus supported and which he continued teaching after John the Baptist was executed. 

      The belief was that God’s kingdom would overthrow all the evil kingdoms of human domination and suffering, particularly, the Roman Empire. Jesus’ teachings on the coming Kingdom of God had to do with this kind of expected, all powerful kingdom, here on earth, under the direct rule of God. 

       It is possible that Jesus saw himself as God's anointed earthly ruler (messiah). He taught that human expectations would be reversed upon the arrival of the Kingdom of God, so that the last would be first and the first, last. The strongest evidence that this could have been true was the fact that Jesus was crucified. The Romans used crucifixion almost exclusively as punishment for sedition or rebellion against the empire.

        The apostle Paul never met Jesus and only directly interacted with Peter and Jesus’ brother, James, for brief periods of time. In fact, Paul had serious disagreements with both Peter and James because his teachings were significantly different from what Peter, James, and the Jerusalem Fellowship believed and taught. The Jerusalem Fellowship was the central leadership of the group of devout Jews known as Followers of The Way whose teachings were most directly tied to the actual teachings of Jesus, so the disconnect between the teachings of Paul and the Jerusalem Fellowship is an interesting contradiction. Needless to say, historically, Paul's teachings had greater impact on evolving Christian theology than did the teachings of the Jerusalem Fellowship following Jesus' crucifixion.

            They believed Jesus was the Messiah (or Christ) and expected him to return very soon to establish God’s kingdom on earth. They expected new members, whether Jews or gentiles, to conform to Jewish teachings and practices, such as circumcision, as well as the expectation of Jesus’ return as part of their faith commitment.

      Paul had a related, but significantly different vision. He taught that the Kingdom of God was in heaven, not on earth, where rewards were granted after one’s life on earth ended. Paul focused his evangelism on gentiles and did not require them to follow any Jewish practices. After all, if the end was near for everyone, why would anything of earthly origin be important? Paul referred to only a few of Jesus' earthly teachings. Paul always stated that his knowledge came not from the teachings of the earthly Jesus, but were visions from the risen Christ.  Jesus' resurrection indicated to Paul that Jesus was chosen by God to be the first of a new kind of spiritually perfect physical being into which all his faith filled followers could expect, themselves, to become.

      Paul interpreted Jesus’ crucifixion as a sacrifice that freed all sinners from their sin, provided they believed in Christ’s redemptive power. He got this idea from the Jewish celebration of Passover which required the sacrifice of a Paschal Lamb in remembrance of the flight of the ancient Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. This idea was supported by the Gospel writers who wrote that Jesus' crucifixion occurred in Jerusalem during the time of Passover.

      Members of the Jerusalem Fellowship were those who historically lived with Jesus, but when the Roman’s conquered and destroyed Jerusalem around 70 CE, the Jerusalem Fellowship ceased to exist. The Followers of The Way outside Jerusalem, however, continued their worship of Jesus as The Christ in synagogues spread throughout areas around the eastern Mediterranian. 

       Many of these assemblies had been established and shepherded by Paul so the vast majority of members were pagan converts who were used to accepting and worshipping new gods who performed miraculous deeds for their chosen people. Even the Roman emperors of that time were considered anointed by gods, sons of gods, saviors of their people, and capable of being resurrected from the dead. There is no reason to expect that these ideas would not then resonate with pagans as they made their conversion to Paul’s form of Judaism, the precursor to what was to become known as Christianity.

     The Christology relating to miraculous events marking stages of Jesus’ earthly life and the view of him as God on earth, are theological evolutions which occurred within the oral traditions after Jesus’ death and preceding the writing of the Gospels. The Synoptic Gospel writers then used these oral traditions as their foundations for producing their stories for their particular community of Jewish believers in Christ. These texts were used in synagogues as weekly lessons. The gospel stories of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection among the Synoptic Gospels, contain contradictions between the different books which clearly reflect the different ways these separate Jewish communities had come to view Jesus, long after he was gone.

      In the mid to late 80's CE, at a meeting of Rabbi’s and Jewish sages, a new blessing was added to the Shemoneh Esreh, the Eighteen Benedictions (blessings) that observant Jews recited three times a day. This new blessing referred to Jews who still practiced Judaism but believed that Jesus was the Messiah as heretics. In whatever synagogues this blessing was accepted, that effectively ejected Jewish followers of The Way from synagogue membership.  This was one of the events that gradually forced the division of Jews and Christ believers into separate and competing religions.

      By the time the Gospel of John was written, about 90 CE, the Christ of Jesus had been elevated from simply the Jewish expectation of a world leader messiah to the creative, eternal wisdom (Sophia) at the right hand of God, in existence from the beginning of time. In John, eternal wisdom was made humanly manifest in the life and acts of Jesus, the anointed, the Christ. Some scholars also believe that the bitter attitude toward “the Jews” expressed in the Gospel of John was a response to the exclusion of Jewish believers of Jesus as the Messiah from synagogue membership.

      Viewing the Gospels as literally true and as reports of historically accurate facts, reduces them to meaninglessness because of their factual inaccuracies and contradictions. However, viewed as metaphysical teachings, they reveal a history of developing spiritual awakening toward universal inclusion, wholeness, and justice for all. Anyone who unselfishly seeks eternal Truth and expresses unconditional love in all that he or she thinks and does participates in God’s anointing (Christhood), just as Jesus taught and demonstrated. (Matt 5:48)


       

Life Itself Is Supernatural

                    Life, as we know it, cannot be explained. We don't really know how cells can be made to live, grow, and multiply. We have identified many little pieces, but we don't know a lot about how everything works together to create the synergy, which is life itself.  Scientists are not even sure about the electron. Is it a particle or a wave type event?  We sort of know that gravity is real, but what causes it? Haven't figured that out yet.

         The entire body of human knowledge that we do understand and use to run our civilization is like the sand in a sandbox. By comparison, what we don't know can be represented by all the remaining sand on all the beaches and in all the deserts, worldwide. There is precious little of total reality that we have actually figured out.

          Therefore, if we define "supernatural" as those things that cannot be explained or verified by science, then most of human life is supernatural, because science cannot yet explain it. Despite our scientific ignorance, however, we are capable of having complete faith in all that reality slowly reveals to us. What we know and don't know are inseparably linked in truth and we are the ones who must change our perspectives as science reveals how newly discovered understandings link with what is already known.

          It is my belief that even scientific knowledge does not progress without humans experiencing a spiritual sense of the unknown. Faith is a result when spiritual inspiration leads to expected outcomes. This is true for both scientific inquiry, as well as spiritual and religious growth. A calm sense of the unknown somehow leads to verifiably new experiences and understandings.

          In short, life is a wonderful, supernatural series of startling experiences, until new knowledge and perspectives are revealed, understood, and accepted. Enjoy and celebrate what comes your way and that which is confirmed as truth through your life experiences, but also, keep searching and reaching for what you haven't yet grasped, because that is where the greatest expanse of reality resides.

       

       

       

       

The Meaning of Easter

        For many Christians, Easter represents a historical event in which the anointed Son of God arose from the dead after being crucified as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of all mankind. It is taught, if you believe this, you will be saved and go to heaven when your life on earth concludes.

        For many other Christians, Easter represents a historical event in which a Jewish teacher/prophet from Nazareth was crucified because of his non-violent resistance movement against the Roman domination system of his time and the Jewish Temple authorities who collaborated with the Romans.

        Synagogue teachings written decades after Jesus' death, for followers of The Way,  included resurrection stories (i.e. the New Testament gospels) because the impact of Jesus’ teachings and example was not extinguished by his torture and death. It was also believed, at the time, that only a supernatural intervention by God to establish God’s Kingdom of unconditional love and social justice on earth, could and would completely defeat human imperial domination systems.  Some early Christians also came to believe that this heavenly intervention would be initiated by a second coming of Jesus to earth.

        They were wrong about any imminent supernatural intervention because one did not occur during the two generations after Jesus' crucifixion nor in any generation since the gospels were written. However, the spiritual understandings inspired by the teachings of Jesus as well as other religious leaders over the millennium, have slowly nudged human thinking and institutions closer to the demonstration of unconditional love and equality in human justice.

        However you choose to interpret Easter is up to what makes sense and personally satisfies you. Still, despite any differences in historical perspectives among Christians, we might all agree that living our lives consciously, with love, forgiveness, and a passion for justice, is the spiritual foundation and the highest metaphysical intent of the Easter message.

        The English word “repent” as found in the Bible comes from a Greek word "metanoeo" which means something like to rethink or to think in a new way. So, each Easter, we are reminded that whenever we find ourselves thinking in ways that prevent us from loving or being just towards one another, we can and are perpetually invited to repent. 

         If we humans can increase our spiritual capacity to love, forgive, and to seek out justice for all, doesn't that mean that God's Kingdom is spreading on earth, as it is in heaven?

     Amen and so it is.

A Metaphysical Perspective of Christianity

        Let’s be honest. What does Jesus really represent to Christians? He represents the perfect human expression of God, with God being the unknown cause and power directing all of life and reality. The ideal interaction between mankind and God is demonstrated through Jesus’ life and teachings. Resurrection myths were written by early Christian followers after Jesus' death to express the belief that Truth and Love can never be destroyed by anger, oppression, or death. As Christians of today grow in our understanding of Jesus’ life and teachings and demonstrate his principles of love in our lives, we move closer to experiencing the full reality of a God inspired and co-created life of good. 

     Life is an individual spiritual journey for each of us, but even as we grow and learn separately, we find ourselves drawn together, as love is expressed, into an ever-expanding community of spiritual unity. This awareness breaches even religious boundaries. This is Christianity as I have always felt it to be. The only miracle I ever need to prove the authority of the Christian message of Love is that when I seek it out and rely upon it, it works. It is also true that the same message of Love forms the foundation of virtually every other major religion. The expression and acceptance of Reality, or God as the source of Love, is not and should not ever be viewed as a competition. 

A Rational Superstition For Christians

I am Christian because I became aware of my own sense of spirituality through the study of Christian lessons in the Methodist churches I attended. As a kid I always wondered about the miraculous events as told in the Bible and whether or not they were literally true or were inspired spiritual metaphors.  However, unlike those children surrounded by Christian fundamentalists, as I grew up I was given the leeway to ponder these questions along with my family, friends, and Sunday school companions. When I became an adult I set aside any notion that my Christian beliefs had to depend upon superstitions that were irrational.  The practical Christian lessons I learned have helped me deal faithfully with all the events I have experienced in life.

When you are allowed to develop your own awareness of the spiritual realities of life, then life itself can become its own ever-evolving miracle and fundamentalist dogma fades into the nothingness from which it was imagined.

Do we humans have a sense that there is a perfect relationship possible between ourselves, and the ultimate truth and power of the universe? Yes, of course we do. Our intelligence is part of that reality and we are capable of observations, rational thought, communication, recalling memories, and considering the unknown through imagination. These traits are what made our human evolution possible and so successful.

Do we also have instinctive, self-centered drives for sex, self-preservation, dominance, and survival?  Of course we do. We are human animals and these foundational traits are embedded in our DNA. This fact is what gives the idea of original sin a sense of validity, but it, in fact, has nothing to do with the Adam and Eve story found in Genesis. That’s an imaginative story of explanation, not a history of human events. When we humans try to explain something beyond our current state of knowledge, we tend to create fantasy explanations and superstitions.

Ancient civilizations were impacted by natural disasters and warring conflicts among the various tribes, clans, towns, or nations. Always sensing there was a higher order into which everyone’s lives fit, they created stories suggesting that this higher order was one or more gods who were unhappy with imperfect humans so they punished or rewarded us as they deemed appropriate, based on our behavior. Our ancestors' desires to influence this higher power created the superstitions that have been handed down for generations. The logic seemed to be, if humans sacrificed something of personal value to the gods or performed this or that ritual, that would appease the anger of the appropriate god's and the drought, or volcano, or plague, or attacks by neighboring tribes would end. When the crises did end, whatever was done prior to that, our ancestors felt was the effective rite and they’d be prompted to do the same things again, when necessary. 

       Superstitious behavior is simply part of what we are and we need to learn how to deal with that.  My solution is simple. Let’s be superstitious about what naturally occurs in the world and not about what we imagine to be unnatural forces that intervene in our world events from some outside, other-worldly location. The human mind and soul has a spark of the divine in it, however you wish to describe it, and we are neither hapless nor helpless. How we consciously view anything determines its impact on our lives. 

      If you view yourself as an unworthy, perpetual sinner, that kind of thinking will draw your attention toward more and more opportunities to sin, whatever that means to you. After all, if that is what you are, shouldn't you sometimes act that way? However, if you view yourself as one in tune with all that is good, natural, and perfect in the universe, that will draw your attention toward new and more wondrous spiritual discoveries, day by day. Whatever is the focus of your mind and heart becomes the outward expressions of your life. 

For me, this, itself, is a superstitious belief, but a superstitious belief in which I have complete faith. Time and again I have witnessed angry discussions that were tamed immediately by words of empathy and love. I have witnessed the moods of people racked with fear, doubt, or personal loss uplifted by someone else who simply cared about them.  I am fully rooted in the superstition that the best outcomes will result from the presence of unconditional love in any situation. Even in the midst of those who reject love and remain angry or cruel, I believe it is my role and an opportunity for everyone else facing such individuals to offer them a chance to see and feel differently, even in the face of one's own physical peril. Everything in the teachings and the life of Jesus points in this same direction.

So, you might ask, if I am like St. Paul and believe that Jesus was “…born of a woman, born under the law…” (Galatians 4:4)  like all devout Jews, and not by a virgin birth, then how can religious celebrations such as Christmas be meaningful?   Well, Christmas is meaningful to me for two main reasons.

One, Christmas stories do not have to be actual history to be effective and spiritually inspiring. I have no problem realizing that Jesus led such an exemplary life that his followers wanted to glorify his birth, life, and death. Let’s remember that 90% of the population at the time was pagan and all empires had their sacred gods, so appeasing the gods was not only important, but also part of all legal systems. There were numerous religious/political leaders who claimed to be divine and born of virgins or gods, so we should not be surprised that the writings about Jesus sound similar the writings of other leaders of his time.

Two, since it was through the stories and lessons of Christianity that I became aware of my own sense of spirituality, the Christmas stories were a big part of what moved me.  The Christ child will always symbolize to me the birth of divine thoughts in my own mind and heart for which I must provide protection and a place to grow. The Christmas star is the light of the teachings that lead me to love, peace, knowledge, and wisdom.  The wise men indicate those of other cultures and faiths who are also seeking the same birth of love in their hearts. Mary and Joseph provided loving, protective care to the Christ child and children hearing these stories, today, will feel the same security and warmth when they are loved by their parents and family. Jesus became an eternal living expression of light and love and every Christmas is another chance to rededicate my life to this same purpose.

The question I have is why do so many feel that Christian, or any religious superstitions must be linked to irrational beliefs? Why is it so important that Jesus be born of a virgin, or that he be the genetic son of God, or that he arise physically alive after dying from crucifixion? Why are irrational miracles more important than the rational miracles we experience every day in life?  Life itself is a miracle because we cannot scientifically explain it or create it ourselves. Happiness, joy, and trust also perform miraculous feats in the lives of those who bring them into their way of being. 

Changing our attitudes can completely alter our world-views, change our lives, and move us toward a unity of love and acceptance. Most homilies you’ve ever heard in church point to the importance of the practical demonstration of your spiritual beliefs within the life you live. Why is this not considered divine intervention into the everyday affairs of mankind? Every time I witness loving righteousness in the actions of those around me, I’m in awe and no other proof seems necessary or even important. Let’s honor the perfection we each strive to express and not debate the various religious stories and religious paths that inspired our individual journeys. God is great enough to hold all things, all thoughts, and all actions within the boundaries of eternal truth. 

A personal statement of faith that summarizes the metaphysical teachings across all religions could be stated as follows:

To the extent I rely upon the spiritual reality of my experiences and understanding of God to develop loving insights to guide my life, I will be led toward fulfillment of that desire and often in ways that are beyond my immediate level of understanding.

A Metaphysical Perspective Of The 2016 Presidential Election

The spirit of truth and love is within each one of us. It is the purest reality of our being and it is our life journey to discover how to express and use this unending source of knowledge, wisdom, and peace. Even though one’s spiritual journey is a singular, inner experience, it fits so perfectly with the spiritual enlightenment evolving within others, that when together, regardless of our diverse spiritual or religious backgrounds, we feel joined in a collective unity of mind and action.

So, how does all this change when our nation elects a president based on a campaign of extreme negativity, vulgarity, and violence focused towards those who appear different?  The beauty of eternal truth is that it doesn’t change, because it can’t change, because it is always present in potential.

We cannot force others to seek that inner inspiration of truth and love to guide their own lives. And, certainly, there are times when human, fear-induced thinking results in the rejection of love and empathy as necessary components to the solutions of human problems. The results of the 2016 presidential election appear to speak to this very point.

Yet, nothing is really changed. Love still counts. Love still wins. In fact, it is only love that wins in ways that will lift everyone. We are not required to fight back in anger or aggression towards those who feel anxious or fearful of a perceived loss of power or privilege. It is our responsibility to simply live life open to the spirit of truth and love, and to realize by so doing we make real in every moment of eternity that we touch, the presence and power of God.

When it is your time to speak or act, be vulnerable, dare greatly to be your highest self, and any fear or hatred in your midst, will be diminished by your love. This holds true no matter your human political viewpoint.

Knowing God

I've known God since I was a young kid. But what I knew and continue to know about God has nothing to do with experiencing God as a human-like personality with supernatural powers who alters the universe or history as a reward or punishment for human behavior. My communication with God does not result in mystical words spoken to me or by me, visions, or the witnessing of mysterious, unexplained phenomena. These sorts of things reflect a desire for irrational superstition, and I have no such desire. I accept life exactly as it presents itself.

To me, God has been an inner personal companion, always available to nudge me toward truth and understanding whenever I need and seek it out. God is Truth, manifesting all that is and can be at our individual levels of understanding.  I am part of that Truth and can communicate freely with it, because everything I am and everything I could and will become emerges only from what has always been possible.

What I have come to understand about God is that God is not about religion. God is most clearly experienced in the miracle of life itself, and through expressions of love. Religions may be about human concepts of God, but the reverse is simply not true.

So, does this mean religions are useless or wrong? I do think religions are wrong if they seek to strictly define God through traditions, myths, creeds, rituals, or dogma. However, any religion that helps you learn how to experience and participate in God's presence is certainly not useless. Religions and centers of worship provide excellent opportunities for personal spiritual growth. Supportive spiritual communities can help you discover ways to face whatever is unknown to you with confidence in the presence of God. You'll never know all the answers, but  you will always have faith that what you do know and believe, as you keep yourself open to learning, fits perfectly with whatever the final answers actually are.

God is experienced on a personal level and cannot be captured within the creeds of corporate religions. That does not mean that individuals cannot be moved to a God experience of their own through devotion to creeds or by participating in rituals of organized religions, because many are. What it does mean, however, is that the personal experience of God's presence and Truth is the real journey and is more important than surrendering to external pressures to conform to church teachings and dogma.

Be true to what feels right to you and the way you experience life. Always seek guidance from a higher perspective than your immediate personal cares and you will be led toward better, more loving, and more practical answers. Creeds, religions, and spiritual leaders, all can help, but the final decisions need to be what makes sense to you based on your accumulated experiences and knowledge at that point in your life. Religious institutions are best viewed as stepping stones along your path of spiritual growth, not as end-points of your journey.

God is ultimate Truth, so more can always be learned that will draw you closer to God, your personal companion, forever.