Well, it is Holy Thursday, and in this holy season from this day until Easter Sunday, I get pretty quiet inside. I ponder the mysteries of Christ, his Passion, death and Resurrection, and like the apostles of His time, I can’t really say I understand it.
My clock points to about the hour I imagine Christ is asking his apostles to stay…and pray with him an hour, but alas sleep overcomes and soon Judas and the Roman soldiers are upon them all.
Now, shocked, the apostles are going to rise to Jesus’ defense, but Jesus, himself, tells them to calm their effort. Just as at the Last Supper, Jesus was telling them, they would not see him in a little while…yet he would be with them always…..
They didn’t “get it.”
In his short life Jesus lived and taught these three things over and over again: Love one another, forgive one another, and oh, by the way “You and I are One, just as the Father and I are One, and I’ve come to do His will.”
“Destroy the temple and in three days I will rebuild it again”? Speaking of life everlasting in so many ways. Yet, it couldn’t be understood. Imagine their total devastation when Jesus would not save himself from the cross! Every year as I enter the sacred scriptures, I want to warn Jesus, “they are coming, they will be here soon. Leave, and save yourself from a torturous night and death.”
But the story never changes.
I understand their need to hide in fear and try to figure out what had just happened and what their next step would be.
Who, today 2,000 years later, understands immortal life — life unending and glorious, not destroyed but transformed. Really, who does?
Jesus did and he did his best to tell us and be a way-shower and show us. But there is still sadness and silence and soul-searching from Holy Thursday night, through Friday, the day of crucifixion, and the Holy Saturday, commemorating the burial.
Then– Easter dawn; the women and the angel — “He is gone!” Arisen.”
Is this the act that can turn doubt and fear and “not hearing” into understanding or acceptance on faith? Is this the act that will be recorded and travel forward through history that humankind will ponder perhaps to the end of time?
Many other spiritual leaders of our time speak to us of Oneness, a Divine Source, not “out there” but within and speak of immortality as a transformation of some kind. Many people today are listening, trying to understand, finding more agreement even between inter-faith dialogues — that there are Universal Spiritual Truths that are to be acted upon just as there are Laws of Physics and Mathematics.
In fact, the Spiritual Principles, are showing up and being recorded more often now in the fields of Physics, Mathematics and other research arenas.
One of these spiritual leaders is Buddist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, and I recently came across these words of his. Now it may be just me, but it sounds like he is speaking of the same immortality Christ spoke of. See if you agree:
“Some people might ask you, “When is your birthday?”
But you may ask yourself a more interesting question:
“Before that day which was my birthday, where was I?”
Ask a cloud, “What is your date of birth? Before you
were born, where were you?”
If you ask the cloud, “How old are you? Can you
give me your date of birth?” you can listen deeply
and you may hear a reply….
“Looking deeply, you do not see a real date of birth
and you do not see a real date of death for the cloud.
All that happens is that the cloud transforms into
rain or snow.
There is no real death because there is always
a continuation.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
I think I will take these thoughts into quiet time with me, release them and open to the mysteries of life – and glorious life everlasting.
the continuation ..that is it … we are not separate little selves ruling our lives …we are life expressing as us … there can be no birth or death … just life! when we realise that the I is a fiction, not real, there is no “me” … just life as this embodiment like the cloud right now … then we can relax like the cloud full of the joy of life … of the great I Am, and let all the doing and being unfold as it will 🙂 thank you for this story sue, perfect for me today 😀
and dear Christine, your response, perfect, very perfect, for me today. As I read YOUR words, such peace flowed over me.
Are you aware of Barbara Marx Hubbard’s Shift Movement? I’ll attach my community website and you can surf it….I am going to contribute through my daily life and purpose and see what I can collaborate with a few friends globally. There are many from Australia in this movement.
http://shiftmovement.com/members/napkinwriter/activity/
it’s a little daunting at first, not a labyrinth, for sure, but a maze; but you can click on any of my friend’s images, and get their page up and learn about them. And click on their profile; The ONE LINE profile gives a great clue into them.
WHEN prosperity decides it is time, I would come to Australia just to meet you.
Love and blessings during this Easter season, and blessed be you and your life and work on this Earth.