The Promise & Peril of Transformation

Did you ever wonder why Jesus willingly entered Jerusalem knowing what awaited him there?  I mean after the Palms, high fives, and Hosannas celebration, Jerusalem became a nightmare for Jesus.  Just what was he thinking? By all appearances, his choice to go where he would most surely meet his mortal end was illogical, irrational, and reckless. When viewed through the lens of a survival mindset this plan is doomed from the start.   

However, if we recognize Jesus’ overarching message, his raison d'etre we see it mirrored in all his words and actions, and the same circumstances seen through a different lens of understanding yield a remarkably different interpretation.  It comes down to purpose; that which underlies, informs, and guides motives and choices. And the supreme purpose of Jesus' life was to realize and demonstrate a transformative relationship with God.  As a commitment to this purpose, it became a journey that would confront every obstacle that posed as a false reality. Following this risk-laden path would lead inexorably to a resolute overcoming of the limitations of a mind/body identification, and full realization of his undefeatable spiritual nature, and ever-present oneness with God.

Was Jesus tempted to back away from this dreadful fate?  Yes, we know he doubted his mission in the Garden by his passionate plea that the cup of his fate be taken from him. However, Jesus ultimately knew that a complete realization of his spiritual essence would need to stand up to all tests.  If love were the greatest power in the universe, it would not fail him even through this horrendous ordeal.  It was only in going through the most convincing illusion of separation from life and love, that Jesus could establish for himself (and all of us) that Life and Love are eternal truths, not merely temporal experiences of life in a body.

Perhaps you are facing the prospect of a difficult journey right now in your life.  You may feel trepidation as you contemplate the risks of what lies ahead. You may be tempted to back off and take a safer course.  I invite you to ask yourself this question before deciding how to proceed:  What is my supreme purpose in this life?  What is infinite Love and Life seeking to express through my life right now? From that deeper sense of self, you may find guidance and strength to take a truer course. 

I have not always walked courageously into risky situations. Sometimes I saved my skin and abandoned my spirit. During those times when I did muster the courage to face the dragons of uncertainty and fear, I was often rewarded to discover something much greater and truer in me. This is the promise and peril of the spiritual life.

When we are committed to a journey of transformation, when our desire to know Spirit intimately, as an indwelling presence that never leaves us, we are drawn through the refining fire of circumstances.  This can be painful, as the narrow gate of truth strips away our entrenched but false beliefs of who we think we are, and leaves in its wake the realization of the Self that stands unhurt, neither diminished nor limited, the rock upon which we build the life that Spirit has called us to live.

The gates of transformation are wide open for you. Go ahead and enter, trembling if you must, knowing God goes with you.

With you, on the path of transformation.

Rev. Larry