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I believe this concept of God as Savior within the context of this abuse triangle has perpetuated a great mis-understanding of the purpose of life and the purpose of salvation. We miss the gospel itself when stuck in this way of seeing life. We even conceive our country in this way, either as looking to government to save us or to see our country as the world savior. This is so ingrained in our world view that it is hard to think of life any other way. According to the theory, the only way out of this disastorous way of living, is to embrace this paradox: Take total responsibility for your life AND know that you are only a small part of a much bigger picture. I believe that is the salvation of Jesus the Christ: not a rescue from external oppressors, not permission to oppress anyone who doesn’t see life as we do, not a requirement to rescue everyone in our path.
I know I’m getting a little abstract here but bear with me. The concept of the Mystery of the Trinity is basic to orthodox and historical Christianity. It seems most churches and pastors have a great deal of trouble even acknowledging this mystery. In my church, we sing the Gloria Patri and the Doxology for which I am thankful but any sermons I’ve heard on the Trinity have to do with identifying with one of the Three Persons or comparing the Trinity to 3-in1 oil or an egg. I think we’re better off just singing our praises to this which we do not understand.
For me, it has been embracing the Trinity in all It’s mystery that has countered my own sin-triangle with a holy cleansing. Living life in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…..meditating in the knowledge that I am one with the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sanctifier…..even more ancient is the Sanskrit understanding of God as Tat, Sat and Om. I begin my mediation time with a ritual of remembrance as I stand before three candles, I cross myself in the eastern tradition and know I am in the presence of that which creates all, that which was incarnated in a woman’s womb, that which binds me to eternal life – I let this mystery that is greater than my sin embrace me and fill me and breathe through me. One resource in particular has been very helpful in this regard: Richard Rohr’s The Divine Dance . This is a set of four CD’s. Do not listen to this while you are driving! The depth of mystery to be experienced and holy presence is not compatable with driving. I went five exits past my destination the first time I listened. l close with this: This is the prayer by Richard Rohr that comes with the CD:

The narrow way has no end: its quality is eternity. There every moment is a moment of beginning – the present includes the future; the day of judgement; the present includes the past: creation; for Christ is timelessly present everywhere, both in hell and in heaven. With the coming of the One, plurality disappears, even in time and space. Everything happens simultaneously, now and here and everywhere, in the depth of your heart. There you meet what you sought: the depth and height and breadth of the Cross: the Savior and salvation.
Therefore, if you wish to save your soul and win eternal life arise moment by moment from your dullness, blessing yourself with the sign of the cross and say “Let me, Lord, make a good beginning, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Let it be so. Amen Aum. Shalom.

In the deepest night the star of morning
has heralded the Child’s birth.
The coming of the Child is for us
the dawn of God’s salvation here on earth.

Trust what you see, believe the vision,
lay bare your hearts to God’s own Word,
do not refuse the Savior’s mission,
accept the message you have heard.

God has no other sign,
no other Light in our darkened world to give
than this Jesus to be our Savior,
a God with whom we all can live.

God has revealed to every nation
love of humankind in Jesus our Lord.
In Jesus all persons may see salvation,
and earth made new in God’s own Word.

The promised One of Israel’s story,
a bridegroom clad with fire and light,
the morning sun in all its glory,
dispelling darkness and the night
has come to live with us for ever,
uniting us in peace and joy,
and in Christ’s Body we need never,
be parted from our God above.
- Author Unknown

For the world and time are the dance of the Lord in emptiness. The silence of the spheres is the music of a wedding feast. The more we persist in misunderstanding the phenomena of life, the more we analyze them out into strange finalities and complex purposes of our own, the more we involve ourselves in sadness, absurdity, and despair. But it doesn not matter much, because no despair of ours can alter the reality of things, or stain the joy of the cosmic dance which is always there. Indeed, we are in the midst of it, and it is in the midst of us, for it beats in our very blood, whether we want it to or not. Yet the fact remains that we are invited to forget ourselves on purpose, cast our awful solemnity to the winds and join in the general dance.

- Thomas Merton
New Seeds of Contemplation

Forget the past, for it is gone from your domain! Forget the future, for it is beyond your reach! Control the present! Live supremely well now! It will whitewash the dark past, and compel the future to be bright! This is the way of the wise. – Paramahansa Yogananda

Many churches in this area of Ohio where I am today, as well as the area of NY state where I live, have the phrase “Jesus Saves” written bright red letters somewhere on their edifice. This always annoys me, not because I disagree or want to hide from this truth but because the words are code language understood only from the inside – inside that particular church as well as inside of the experience of Jesus Christ as savior. It’s a language from another era that doesn’t quite compute. It begs the question – what exactly is Jesus saving? In a capitalist society, the society at large might wonder if its in a bank or in stocks and bonds!

Indeed, we do need a savior. The quote I’m meditating on above speaks of controlling the present as the way to whitewash the dark past. I can’t do that without a savior. By “savior” I don’t mean one who rescues me from past descisions or changes my circumstances with a magic wand. That view of Christ as Savior is the unique distortion of North American christianity. No, the Savior we need is: the Christ that dissolvesthe delusions, Christ Jesus who cleans the temple of our heart from the lies and self-loathing as he swept the temple in Jerusalem, the child Jesus who frees us to ask questions and to be wise, the infant Jesus who trusts enough to be a vulnerable one of us. But if we look for a rescuer from up on high somewhere outside of this human experience, then we will waste our time on this earth and miss the point of it all.

“When we can see the image of God where we don’t want to see the image of God, then we see with eyes not our own.”

-Richard Rohr

We’ve been traveling today – two short trips on regional jets held together with duct tape. We are in Ohio. I have a prejudice against people in Ohio – I’m know this is irrational and most likely sinful but it is the truth. I’ve driven I-90 several times a year for over 10 years and the people who work in the rest stops have always left me with a bad taste in my mouth…not to mention smelly bathrooms. I know this is not a fair assesment of a state nor the people with in but I have a hard time shaking this pre-judgement. Our trip down here for business reasons did nothing to change this. So today I am asking God to see with eyes that are not my own. It is easy to see God in those who are in need – it pumps my ego to help them which is why it is easier to give than receive. It is easy to see God in people who are beautiful inside and out. It is easy to see God in heroes and saints. But to see God where we are pre-set by our own limitations to see stupidity or rudeness or filth….now that takes the eyes of God. May I see through God’s eyes more than I see through my own. When God looks through my eyes, I hope he lets me have a peek.

When I dared to research the origins of the end of times theologies (there are many) I began to see that this concept of waiting for the Savior to take us away from all of this and to punish all the bad guys to be quite dangerous and not much cause for hope. Even the first century Christians were not at all sure that was what Jesus meant. So what is the basis of hope for the coming of Christ Jesus in these times? He clearly said that heaven and earth would pass away but his word would not. (Matthew 5:18, 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33)

I believe that one day we will understand but in the meantime, the only way we should concern ourselves with the second coming of Christ is to allow Christ to be fulfilled in our lives here and now. Many of the earliest Christians understood the meaning of the second coming in this way – The Second Coming of Christ is within our own lives as we become one with Christ in the same way Christ is one with God. In other words, we are to BE Christ in the lives we live here and now. That is so much harder than waiting for a savior to rescue us from the pain of this life.
Today I have tried to be hope to the people I encountered. The young cashier with bright blue highlights in her hair and piercings in her brow that didn’t want to look me in the eye; the lonely woman with so many disabilities; the man in the truck who almost ran me off the road; the person who pumped gas for me (yes, we actually have two gas stations here that do that!)…all these people are Christ coming to me for me to reflect hope back to them. There is a sanskrit word for this way of thinking: namaste - “the Divine in me greets the Divine in you.” This is for me the hope of the coming of Christ, Emmanuel, God with us.

Forget the past, for it is gone from your domain! Forget the future, for it is beyond your reach! Control the present! Live supremely well now! It will whitewash the dark past, and compel the future to be bright! This is the way of the wise.

Paramahansa Yogananda

By nature, I am not a patient person. I learned the hard way that God answers prayer for patience by bringing to one’s awareness situations that require patience. I don’t pray for patience anymore! However, prayer itself is an exercise in patience…it is waiting for God who comes to us, Emmanuel himself, the Spirit herself.
To “control the present” certainly cannot mean the pitiful attempt to make everything work according to the desire of the day by sheer willpower. Control requires the utmost of patience with myself and with the situation of the moment.
I usually wait an hour past my appointment time to see my chiropractor. In the past (that dark time that is no longer within my domain) I would have walked up to the counter and demanded to know how much longer it would be and proclaim the value of my time and exclaim my displeasure. My children referred to this as “ mom getting her bitch up. See why I like this whole idea of whitewashing my past?
Today was like every other day I have visited the chiropractor. I always bring something to read and my MP3 player on which to listen. It was a snowy day today and I was the only one in the waiting room. Usually it is filled with assorted characters, many of whom appear to have very little in life. On those days, I have become accustomed to praying for each of them, focusing my attention on each one and blessing them silently. There have been times I have seen a grumpy person turn to me and smile…times I’ve seen a tear sliding down a man’s cheek..times I’ve seen a child become calm. Most of the time, I just have that unspeakable peace in the region of my heart. Today, there was none of that – just a silent waiting. As the nurse walked me to the examining room. she remarked about the snow storm and icy weather. I smiled at her and she asked me if it didn’t bother me. I said truthfully “I love the snow – it turns everything beautiful and I don’t mind driving in it. The roads in this area are always plowed and well maintained. I love it here.” She looked at me in dismay and said, “Nothing bothers you! I’ve noticed this about you. You never get upset at waiting, you are always calm and smiling. You must be the most laid back person I know!” I just smiled…and that dark past of anxious impatient control was whitewashed into the gentle power of patiently waiting and a day of living supremely well.

Forget the past, for it is gone from your domain! Forget the future, for it is beyond your reach! Control the present! Live supremely well now! It will whitewash the dark past, and compel the future to be bright! This is the way of the wise.

page 97

And so, for this advent I am pondering what it means to control the present and live supremely well NOW as a christian in these turbulent times. What I am controlling to day is an attitude of hope, choosing hope over despair, hope rather than cynicism, hope instead of frustration, hope in contradiction to fear. Won’t you join me?