The
challenge in short:
We don’t seem to have the freedom to be sinless and, throughout our life,
reflect God’s love and wisdom into the world without ever failing. If we really
were free to do that at least some would have succeeded. As it is, only one has
succeeded. And he was - yes, human - but also God. I think that speaks volumes
about the difficulty and the challenge the rest of us are up against.
What I get from others as well is this: When evening comes and we close our
eyes we are still sinners; no matter our prayers, our faith, our genuine
intentions. It seems that we have a built in faulty system that makes us choose
to sin.
Imagine seeing this in another religion or in some other format. Perhaps a
cartoon. – A creator has created his creatures with a propensity to sin. Or
perhaps he has allowed circumstances to form them this way. Even the most
humble creatures who hate their own self-will succumb to that will of the self
at the end of the day. And what does the creator declare them: Sinners!, worthy
only of death … if it wasn’t for his “mercy”.
If this wasn’t part of our own religion I think most would react this way:
Whoa! That’s NOT fair!
But being a pious Christian we compartmentalize to “stay faithful”. I can’t do
that, having no walls in my compartment to lean against. But I can’t let go of
Jesus either. The Gospel is filled to the brim, no, overflowing with so much
Love, that it has to contain Truth. Love from God to us, through Jesus Christ –
Love from ourselves to one another, through Jesus Christ. Yes. That must be
love. That must be truth.
Now, in one of my meditations these paradoxical words came to me (as from God
to Human):
“You deserve to die, that’s why you have to ask for forgiveness – you do not
deserve to die, that’s why you can ask for forgiveness every day; and I will
grant it.”
Yes, already from the beginning God promised to defeat death.
Meditating on this it has evolved to the following. I will have to be
blasphemous and speak with the voice of God to his human creatures:
I know you are weak. And I don’t blame you. But if you indulge in the ways of
your weakness, which pulls you down, you may feel scolded. Don’t identify with
that which I want to rid you from. I have so much in store for you. I will
raise you above the angels and you shall inherit what I have formed with my own
hands. I will give you the whole world when you are ready.
I know that deep in your heart you long for this day. And I know that you hate
yourself for doing what is hurtful to others and what grieves me. Are you not
truly aware why you feel this way? Well, that’s an old story going all the way
back to the beginning of Scripture and reaching through to the last pages: You
have my breath inside of you. You are my child.
I am not finished completing you, dearest humanity. You will flourish in many
different ways like colorful flowers in my garden. In that process you will
view me through some distortion. Even in your clearest moments you will not
have complete clarity. And, yes, you will sin. But because I, myself, am the seed
in your heart you will feel repelled by your sins and even by yourself.
Do you think that I’m behind the stars? No, I’m in the middle of your
conscience.
That is why my voice sounds like this: You are forgiven.
To you this will feel like mercy. And in a deep sense it is. Because: Even
though your weakness is not your fault you can’t turn your back on the whole
matter. Why not? Because you hate when you call forth tears in your neighbor’s
eyes. You hate when you indulge in richness while others crawl around in
poverty. You hate your ignorance even if this ignorance isn’t your fault. This
hatred of the flesh is me in you. This love – for that’s what it really is – is
me in you. Through every part of you it’s actually my voice screaming (often
silently) – it is my, and by implication also your, call for the freedom to
love. And having the seed of real love inside you this whole process cannot
sound any other way than this: “Forgive me and teach me how to love.” The seed
of love in your conscience forms these words – and hearing myself in and
through you – I will grant you what you ask for.
My love, mediated through you back to me, expresses itself as conscience. And
hearing myself through the sound of your heart I will, for every outcry, give
you that same response you long for. That of forgiveness.
When words, language and even Scripture mystify you it is key to know that you
are not isolated from me. You are in me, and I am in you. Knowing this in an
experiential way should soften the rigidness of your thinking.
You may find Scripture speaking in a lot of different ways and even containing
contradictions. But they all point in one direction – to Jesus. My son in your
midst is how you see me inside Human. Yes, inside you. The Scriptures are only
the doorstep. Jesus is the door. Let him speak to you in ways that go deeper
and reach beyond the Scriptures themselves. Sometimes you will have to become
centered by Scripture, yes, but look through them, as you would look through a
peek hole in a prison, and you will find a vast landscape beyond. I am there,
and you will be there with me, for now in glimpses, and later – forever.
When you cry out for forgiveness, with tears full of sorrow, I also cry – but
my tears are full of joy. For I hear my love in you. And the relief you feel
when you are crying is my joy reflected as the sparks in your tears. Sorrow and
joy are not far apart. In the intersection between you will find me.
And so, too, it is with language: When it raises as high as it can, and then a
bit higher, it will become full of paradoxes. From this place you will have to
listen in another way to rise even further. Silently. Faithfully. Not getting
an answer on demand. And then – when you hear me speaking from that place you
have reached the intersection between your language and mine. This is called
silence. And it is a vibrant silence. This will be comforting. And it will be
without words. I will speak and I will stop speaking. And you will miss me
already because we have made love. But you have to go back to be with your
friends and brothers and sisters. If you, then, want to translate our
conversation to human language you will find that it can only be done through
imagery, poetry and parables.
And this you already know. Keep striving. And you will also know me.
Kristus-Ordet
Perspektiver på den største fortælling nogensinde - en fortælling vi alle sammen er del af.
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Sin - Discursive Thoughts vs. Intuitions
The challenge in short: We don’t seem to have the freedom to be sinless and, throughout our life, reflect God’s love and wisdom into the wo...
