Human Suffering & God

RELIGION often puts the cart before the horse, GRACE puts the horse back in front. – Richard Rohr, on Radical Grace     

It was unfortunate that Origen was declared anathema in 553 CE since it was he who was among the first to recognize our Divine Indwelling when he said “Who among those who have read the Gospels does not know that Christ makes human suffering his own?” Had Origen’s understanding of God’s divine indwelling been accepted from the beginning others might have viewed this world in a completely different context or light. No doubt this would have allowed all of us, to quote Richard Rohr, “to connect the dots better when considering human suffering.”

    

God’s Divine Indwelling clearly implies that “this life is not about us but about God experiencing Himself or Herself through all of us individually and indeed within and throughout all of Creation”.  That profoundly illustrates that any pain, suffering, or joy we experience – God also experiences that with us.  The knowledge that God is within the soul of each human being should provide us with the comfort of knowing that we are not alone; and journeys with us every part of the way from the Alpha to the Omega.  Accepting that God is present within and throughout all of Creation may be the first step necessary for understanding the significance of our True and False (ego) self.  Only God’s unconditional love incorporates and accepts both positive and negative aspects of our human nature.  To try and understand this radical definition of God’s unconditional love is almost maddening.  But Julian of Norwich expressed this best as follows: 

  

“Humans see some deeds as good and others as evil, but our Lord doesn’t see things like this; for everything is given its nature by God and so all that is done is done by God.  It is easy to understand that the best of deeds is well done, but the least of deeds is as well done as the best, for all things happen in the way and order that our Lord has ordained for them from beginningless time; for there is no doer but Him.”

This same radical understanding of God’s unconditional Love was recently wonderfully expressed by Mirabai Starr[1] in these words:

 “When we make mistakes and create suffering, we humble ourselves and God loves us all the more.  For those of us non-Christian and post-modern types, try substituting the word sin for shame, or blame, or even karma.  In other words, we screw up, but that only opens the tender heart of the cosmos where we can find refuge and come back into wholeness.”    

Now our suffering, such as from addictions, can be approached in terms of God’s desire to bring us to wholeness through his healing love.  This unconditional love not only brings us forgiveness and the awareness of the ability to forgive, but also allows us to transform the addiction into a blessing to freely love God, others and myself.  Rohr reminds me such a transformation can only be truly achieved by turning verbal orthodoxy into orthopraxy.

It has taken me at least ten years or more to understand the full significance behind the True Self/False Self as it was first explained by Fr. Rohr at a two day conference in Cleveland, OH. sometime around 2004?  What a blessing his insights that help us Breathe Under Water- Spirituality and the Twelve Steps (2011) have proven to be for all those burdened with addictions and other trials. 

In the face of so much continuing pain and suffering in the world and because we still ask “why does God not do something about it?”  We only need to accept that God does do something about it every day – he created you and me.  We only need to activate the God within -  the True self, or higher self if you prefer.  Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) understood this perfectly well; almost 500 years ago when she said:      

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours. 

Finally below you will find Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation, coincidentally for today, which may help to explain why the False self with a dualistic mind is unable to process such things as human suffering, etc.,  

Dualistic Thinking – The Egoic Operating System

Dualistic thinking, or the egoic operating system, as Cynthia Bourgeault calls it, is our way of reading reality from the position of my private ego. “What’s in it for me?” “How will I look if I do this?” This is our preferred way of seeing reality. It has become the “hardware” of almost all Western people, even those who think of themselves as Christians, because the language of institutional religion is largely dualistic itself. It is a way of teaching that has totally taken over in the last five hundred years. It has confused information with enlightenment, mind with soul, and thinking with experiencing. But they are two very different paths.

The dualistic mind is essentially binary. It is either/or thinking. It knows by comparison, by opposition, by differentiation. It uses descriptive words like good/evil, pretty/ugly, intelligent/stupid, not realizing there may be 55 or 155 degrees between the two ends of each spectrum. It works well for the sake of simplification and conversation, but not for the sake of truth or even honest experience.

Actually, you need your dualistic mind to function in everyday life: to do your job as a teacher, a doctor, or an engineer. It is great stuff as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go far enough. The dualistic mind cannot process things like infinity, mystery, God, grace, suffering, death, or love. When it comes to unconditional love, the dualistic mind can’t even begin to understand it. It pulls everything down into some kind of tit-for-tat system of worthiness and achievement, which is largely what “fast food religion” teaches, usually without even knowing it.

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[1] Mirabai Starr, All Will be Well:  The Radical Optimism of Julian Norwich, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mirabai-starr/julian-of-norwich_b_4115736.html

Christ experiencing himself through you

Ten days ago while lying in a hospital bed, soaked with fear, a voice came to me in the middle of the night that said ‘the life you live is not about you!   The life you live is Christ experiencing himself through you’. This brief message continues to sustain and strengthen me throughout my physical and emotional struggle. It simply could not have come at a better time.

I don’t know exactly when and where the idea of God experiencing itself through us came but realized it has a lot to do with the True Self and the False or Ego Self.  In order to connect with the True Self we are called to deny our Ego (which is not easy or obvious). The Bible speaks of the False Self in terms of ‘Flesh’ and the True Self as the spirit self.  Therefore we are all Holy Creations capable of great unholy actions, thoughts and deeds.  But did God not create us with a free will?   Scripture tells us when we re-learn to trust in God “it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now lives in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,^* who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20.  Jesus said that children already live in the Kingdom, which also suggests that most of us lose the ability to trust in God as we mature into adulthood.  So, to regain that trust we must re-learn what we already knew as a child.

With the awareness that God rests in every soul we can be assured that “if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit^* is life because of righteousness. ¹¹If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ^* from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through^* his Spirit that dwells in you. Romans 8: 10-20

Now don’t get caught up in the religious term ‘sin’ as fearing the wrath of  God, but rather as opportunities to help you recognize your True Self from the False Self. God does not ever leave your presence just because you ‘missed the mark’!   (that's what the word 'sin' means from the original Greek) God does not punish, reward or hand out favours. In fact each time we sin he draws us closer because he desires nothing more than your whole self.  Believe me God is more interested in our potential than in our mistakes.  In fact scripture reminds us that God does not remember our sins.

Fr Richard Rohr writes (Job and the Mystery of Suffering) “God loves us so perfectly he lets us be the heroes. God lets us wrestle with the angel of Yahweh, lets us struggle with God and win. When we try to let go and give our life to God, God gives it back to us. Should we be surprised? That's what love does. That's the only thing you can get excited about when you're in love--giving your life to the other and seeing enjoyment in the other. That's the union toward which God is calling us. The lover delighting in the beloved and the beloved delighting in the lover”.

If you are still stuck on the ‘sin’ rather than your potential know that you are totally entitled to claim your inheritance of the True Self  at any time because   “you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Gal. 4:7

Simply by trusting  in and accepting God’s unconditional love we can allow ourselves to transformed into the very image of God. 2 Cor. 3:18  We may never completely succeed but God knows our heart and keeps us close to his.

Negative thoughts keep you awake?  Claim the mind of the Lord, its free.  “for who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 2:16

The choice is entirely yours, but remember You are responsible... for creating your own belief system and internal map of the world. For interpreting situations however you do and creating feelings based on those interpretations. For your choices, decisions and actions. For being true to your own judgment but never being judgmental of others. For communicating with honesty and integrity, developing and maintaining an open mind, and promoting understanding and empathy. For never compromising your freedoms and rights nor trampling on another's. For always acting from the primary motivation of love. That's all and quite enough.  Brother Mandus Before leaving this posting please watch: http://zanylol.com/ad.html Finally in our daily struggles it may be helpful to recall that ‘the life you live is not about you!   The life you live is Christ experiencing himself through you’. BTW. By truly recognizing that God resides in all humans we have to accept that God comes in many disguises and that's certainly not always easy.

the heart as the true place of worship

I suspect that for most religious followers the idea of a religion without a central place of worship (institutional building) is completely unthinkable. Yet, scripture tells us that God never intended that we should build such structures. According to Fr. Scott Lewis associate professor of New Testament at Regis College that seems precisely the case. In his weekly column of the Catholic Register he provides the following reflection on the readings for Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year B) Dec. 18 he tells us “The idea of building a house for God seems rather preposterous. In the verses omitted from the lectionary reading, God tells David in no uncertain terms that he is out of line.”

Again Fr. Lewis adds “God’s home and the only fitting dwelling or house that we can provide for God is the human heart. We should be very cautious of attemp-ting to confine, localize or domesticate God in any way. God is at work in ways that we have not even imagined — far better to be God’s instrument rather than God’s consultant.”

In several other verses to Chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians we are reminded that ‘we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building’ and16 then asked ‘do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?^*

In subsequent verses, also omitted from the usual lectionary readings, warnings against building a house of religion is expressed in even more surprising and dramatic terms: “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Cor. 3: 10-15)

The following wonderful story by Fr. Anthony de Mello illustrates Fr. Scott Lewis’ point to perfection:

There was a man who invented the art of making fire. He took his tools and went to a tribe in the north, where it was very cold, bitterly cold. He taught the people there to make fire. The people were very interested. He showed them the uses to which they could put fire – they could cook, could keep themselves warm, etc. They were so grateful that they had learned the art of making fire. But before they could express their gratitude to the man, he disappeared. He wasn’t concerned with getting their recognition or gratitude; he was concerned about their well-being. He went to another tribe, where he again began to show them the value of his invention. People were interested there too, a bit too interested for the peace of mind of their priests, who began to notice that this man was drawing crowds and they were losing their popularity. So they decided to do away with him. They poisoned him, crucified him, put it in any way you like. But they were afraid now that the people might turn against them, so they were very wise, even wily. Do you know what they did? They had a portrait of the man made and mounted it on the main altar of the temple. The instruments for making fire were placed in front of the portrait, and the people were taught to revere the portrait and to pay reverence to the instruments of fire, which they dutifully did for centuries. The veneration and the worship went on, but there was no fire. Where’s your fire? Where’s the love? - Anthony de Mello, Awareness.

It is strange to think that Jesus who attended and read from the scriptures at a synagogue and celebrated the various Jewish festivals at the Temple in Jerusalem would concur with this idea. Yet, I believe he would. When humankind determined they should establish their own separate houses of faith it also lead to exclusivity and various forms of violent division between the different faiths. Remember we know that God asks us to live in Oneness– not separate from one another. This blog was written just before I learned that the Catholic Church has purchased Rev. Robert Schuller's defunct Crystal Cathedral in California for a mere $ 57.5 million. What are we to make of this?

The God within - In the beginning was the Word

God is not a Hebrew, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic, Muslim, Protestant,  or Confucian. God simply does not represent any of the  world's religions including any pagan beliefs. God did not write or dictate the Bible, Koran, Torah, The Book of the Dead or any of the world’s sacred texts. That is not to say that these writings do not express certain truths about God, but rather they contain imperfect representations of who we believe God to be. While human consciousness has grown with our understanding of evolution it appears we have not allowed this same process to bring about a greater understanding of God. However, the nature of God is beyond human understanding and must not remain fixed or restricted to any one definition. God is everywhere present, including the here and now. God is not elsewhere, such as only in a distant heaven, not in the future so as to be available only when one gets to heaven. So what has become of the unconditionally loving God who remains  as close as the breath we take? Or do we prefer to believe in a distant God possessed with many of our own imperfect human qualities. For many God is portrayed as a being who responds with anger when we fail to obey his rules or wishes – a God with pagan qualities who can only be appeased through complete obedience and submission through special rites and sacrifices? Who is that God who is primarily interested in our sins rather than our potential? How can we ever learn to hope, trust and love such a demanding divinity? Under such conditions how can we learn to discover the God within? More importantly how can we begin to trust and love our neighbour and ourselves? Is it simply that our ego prefers to deny or refuse God’s immediate presence? Or do we believe that we are somehow not worthy to receive his attention? How can we begin to learn again what we already knew before we were born?

I believe this Divine Being is not the least bit concerned about our religious affiliation or lack thereof. This is a Being who does not reward, demand, punish, keep a record of our ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’ , play favourites or  interested in our praise and uniform expressions of worship. God simply IS and is present in each human being; as such created to be loved by him UNCONDITIONALLY as we are – not as some would have us be. We are all equally God’s holy creatures. God calls us to become as One - not separate from others or from Him. Each of us is created in His likeness – not special but with a unique character and ability. I believe in a God who is beyond space and time – an Infinite Being who is the nurturing mother and father we may never have experienced. I believe that when we finally begin to recognize the God within we will discover that miracles are not only possible but will become natural every day expressions of a growing and evolving faith.

Most Christians are aware of Jesus through the various Bible stories. But recently Fr. Richard Rohr spoke of the importance of establishing a relationship and experiencing Jesus so we can “hear him, see him with our eyes, and touch him with our hands”.  This requires a movement from a static story to an internalized ongoing experience of Jesus. Recognizing that God (Jesus) already resides deep within each human being should reveal to us the depth and intent of God’s desire to establish a complete Oneness with us.   The deeper that relationship becomes the more we will reflect the created image of God – not only through ourselves but for also for the benefit of others.  We will no longer need to compete for God’s love but become willing sharers of that love.

I like to think of God as communicating with us intuitively  - in a manner that reaches beyond words, thoughts, actions, and traditional teachings.  There is inside of each of us a receptor that cannot be detected by any scientific or medical means but will readily respond to God’s calling whenever we desire to listen. This Voice is distinct and clear. It is a call that resonates, deep inside, with complete love and peace. This is a God who communicates with the infant in the womb, the old , the infirm, the faithful and the faithless - the One who lives in the heart of both sinner and saint. This is the Deity who is beyond words and description – yet speaks to us in a universal language that is absorbed rather than heard. This is the Voice that spoke to us in our mother’s womb. The Voice that speaks softly and gently with a wisdom and acceptance that reaches far beyond worldly understanding. When we "hear" it we will immediately recognize that the Word was with us from the beginning and will remain with us beyond time and space.

The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,



the first of his acts of long ago.


Ages ago I was set up,


at the first, before the beginning of the earth.


When there were no depths I was brought forth,


when there were no springs abounding with water.


Before the mountains had been shaped,


before the hills, I was brought forth—


when he had not yet made earth and fields,


or the world’s first bits of soil.


When he established the heavens, I was there,


when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,


when he made firm the skies above,


when he established the fountains of the deep,


when he assigned to the sea its limit,


so that the waters might not transgress his command,


when he marked out the foundations of the earth,


then I was beside him, like a master worker;


and I was daily his delight,


rejoicing before him always,


rejoicing in his inhabited world


and delighting in the human race. - Proverbs 11-31

We are Stardust

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. – Genesis 1:1-3

http://www.wimp.com/astoundingfact/

Twentieth century science completely rewrote the story of our universe and our understanding of creation. Today, science generally accepts that our entire universe began with a massive explosion that took place some 14billion years ago. Authors such as Judy Cannato call this the beginning of God’s self-communication. In her book 'Radical Amazement' (2006) she observes how through God’s grace stars were born and galaxies were formed. Nor does she limit God’s participation to the single act of creation. In fact we are told that the Holy One was present as supernova explosions scattered bits of cosmic matter throughout the universe and forces like gravity began to draw matter together in relationship. God was not identical to these developments, but neither was God separate from them. Michael Dowd in his book, 'Thank God for Evolution' (2008) describes the same process in this way: Ancestral stars are part of genealogy. We can now feel a familial bond to the heavens. Every atom in our bodies, other than hydrogen, was forged in the fiery belly of a star who lived and died and recycled itself back to the galaxy before our own star, the Sun, was born.

Our earth was born more than 4 billion years ago. Half a billion years followed before life in the form of primitive cells appeared having gradually evolved from the perfect mix of celestial fire and gasses, or STARDUST. And we are now learning that God’s involvement in creation or evolution is still ongoing. While time may fail us to observe evolution on earth in its slow progress science has discovered that the Universe continues to expand and Galaxies are racing further apart. These amazing discoveries have been made only within the last one hundred years. Prior to the nineteen twenties it was assumed that the universe existed only of the planets and stars within the Milky Way. Today we recognize that the lights we see as stars can actually be other galaxies which are now estimated in the billions!

Seeing the traditional story of creation in this Light we may begin to  realize slowly that we are indeed made of stardust and therefore know  that the Light of God does indeed dwell deep within us and all of creation. For the skeptics consider the following  from the biblical story of creation. Genesis tells us that in the beginning, or the first day, God commanded, "Let there be light" yet we are told subsequently  that light only appeared on the fourth day when God issued, “Let lights (our Sun, moon, stars, etc.?) appear in the sky to separate day from night . . . “. Thus, from where did the Light on the first day appear as mentioned in Genesis 1:1-3?

"I am the light of the world.  Whoevever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.  John 8:12

The significance of the term ‘Light’, which appears more than 270 times in the bible, remains very important in my life. When I am in darkness, be it through depression, anxiety, fear or worry the absence of God’s light is not always obvious. Independence and arrogance are the stumbling blocks that prevent me from climbing out of my pain. I recall a prayer or reflection many years ago during a particular strong period of depression. In my desperation; I asked (wrote) God to help me out of this threatening and fearful situation. As I wrote the image of being trapped in a totally dark room appeared. In an effort to find the light switch I kept running into hidden pieces of furniture and other obstacles. God then reminded me that stumbling blocks, when exposed to the light, will eventually been seen as building blocks to help us climb out of our pain. All I needed to do was find is the Light switch!

Finally, Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of Quantum Theology (2004) looking at the question of ‘How did it all begin’ invites us to consider an even greater question when he asks “what existed before the Big Bang is of little or no concern to the conventional scientist. I suggest that it is of enormous importance for those among seeking to unravel the meaning of the new evolutionary story of our time, and this includes a growing number of scientist and theologians.”

Our story of Creation in the Christian context is of course based on the Book of Genesis. Other older cultures and succeeding religions share similar stories as well as variations of creation based on legend and tradition.  Often the drama is told against this backdrop which has remained virtually unchanged for generations. But as I have indicated in this blog a dramatic change took place beginning with Galileo and more significantly within the last one hundred years as cosmic discoveries revealed a completely different story as I attempted to explain  in this blog. Now for the good news or new story – the Creator is revealing itself in a new and dynamic way.    In fact, this shift or change of view will have a radical impact on how we relate to one another, our planet and more importantly to God.  

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEZWtrvxyow&NR=1

http://watchdocumentary.com/watch/from-big-bang-to-us-made-easy-video_e20469166.html

Honouring our unique gift

In a universe of time and place no two snowflakes and no two human beings have ever been found the same. Within our universe exist billions of galaxies and within each galaxy exist billions of stars. No two galaxies have ever been found the same. At the opposite end of the scale scientist are discovering that similar comparisons exists within our microscopic world While the Bible tells us that God created each person in his image it should remind us that we are each unique reflections of the creator's infinite reality. We cannot even imagine what God looks like except to look more deeply into the heart of creation itself. We cannot expect to have two people to experience creation in the same way. Nor should we expect them to express their experience in the same way. It is simply illogical to ask any two people to agree to any particular set of 'beliefs. Each person will only understand these religious formulas and beliefs in the context of their own unique experience. Recognizing and respecting the unique qualities of each person therefore may call for a quantum leap for some who believe that unity requires a strict adherence to a set of rules. Our hope for this troubled world calls for expressions of diversity – not similarity. The desire for similarity creates jealousy and the evil of competition. Similarity restricts our experience of God by limiting our experience of God to manmade rules and regulations. Diversity opens the world to infinite possibilities and allows us to awaken the hidden God within. Sacred scripture for each religion is filled with stories of people's unique experience of God. So too we must also live our own unique and sacred story in the presence of our Creator.

Many of our religious institutions follow a prescribed doctrine of beliefs. To challenge these beliefs is often considered heresy. Through ages past and among some extreme examples of religious fundamentalism these challenges are often met with threats and acts of deathly violence. Strangely enough these very negative responses ignore the infinite nature of the Creator they are trying to protect. Our Creator does not need our protection otherwise we are merely confusing him with gods of a lesser nature. While Institutional religions have been largely responsible for creating institutional responses to honour our God they seldom encourage its followers to look beyond the immediate. This would require change. And institutional religion fears change. They fear change because it takes our unique experience out of their control.

Today I met a man who had recently lost his wife due to a very lengthy illness. In his grief he shared how people had tried to comfort him with well meaning phrases such as 'time heals all wounds', or 'your wife is now in a better place', etc. Tragically he shared how these words did little to lessen his present pain. In conclusion our friend tried to diminish his own pain by stating 'Oh, well I suppose I'm lucky compared to the people in Haiti' If he could not recognize his own pain as a unique experience, how could we expect him to overcome the grief for others? What have we learned about the gift of grief? Do we not know that it is the God within that grieves for us and with us?

As a former Catholic I understood that the sacrament of communion meant that we honoured the gift of the God within. Upon reception of that sacrament we were called to reach out to others and creation in a manner that reveals God's Revelation to the world. What an amazing Creator we have knowing that we might fail miserably within mere seconds of receiving his unique gift. Communion begins as a simple gathering of unique individuals, regardless of race colour or religion. And, regardless of how it is celebrated, must be understood as sharing without dividing. Real communion is the starting point calling for our unique God like response to others and the rest of creation. It must therefore never be celebrated is a mere ritual. Communion as celebrated in the Catholic sense therefore represents a unique way of celebrating the God within. However, our Creator does not make demands as to how we celebrate his divine indwelling. Honouring the God within our neighbour it is not about membership to any religious institution nor is it about rituals and Holy buildings and statues. It is simply a response to the quiet voice within that would have us accept all others as equals and unique gifts from our Creator.

On the Divine Indwelling

The God who I have come to know and experience seems more interested in our unlimited potential then our faults or shortcomings. This same God does not keep record of our rights and wrongs, nor those he favor one individual over another. Learning to trust in this God, who holds us in the palm of his hand, desires only one thing - our recognition that he loves each one of us UNCONDITIONALLY. At the same time he keeps reminding me that there is nothing anyone can do to earn his love. What a gift! So how can we learn again, what we already knew from the moment we were born?

One of the most powerful realizations we can hope to grasp is - God resides within each human being! This is what theologians have long understood as the Divine Indwelling. Each one of us carries within a holy spark, or particle, of the Divine. It is part of our DNA. Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. As Christian scripture confirms: “For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present , nor the future, neither the world above not the world below – there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God”.

Becoming increasingly conscious or aware of our Creator’s most intimate connection will finally bring us a life to be lived in full as promised by Jesus. To help us to gain a greater insight of that incredible reality, readers my wish to reflect on the following scripture passages:

A. By Christ: Through faith

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family* in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

B. Spirit: Every believer

But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through* his Spirit that dwells in you.

Romans 8:9-11

Spirit: Body, a temple of God

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?* 1 Corinthians 3:16

Dr. Wayne Dyer, in his book, Your Sacred Self, describes [Divine Indwelling] in this way:

To be born again is to let the past go, and look without con­demnation upon the present. . . .You are but asked to let the future go, and place it in God's Hands. And you will see by your experience that you have laid the past and present in His Hands as well, because the past will punish you no more, and future dread will now be meaningless. The Course in Miracles

You do not need a teacher to teach you all of the elements of heightened awareness. You do not need a teacher to tell you how to erase your past and the limitations that you have come to believe in. What you need is a teacher to teach you that you have immeasurable power within you. This is what I wish to do. I hope to convince you of the reality of the existence of your limitless inner power.

Finally, readers ,may further benefit by reflecting on the following words from Mariane Williamson in her book A Return to Love (1992) and later adopted by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 Inaugural Speech.

Powerful Beyond Measure

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be - brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?"

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so small that others won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in us, it's in everyone.

As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from fear, our presence automatically liberates others.