Seeing the here and unfolding now philosophical relevance of Christ’s teachings and process
A recent phonalogue (a dialogue by phone) with Terry, on the subject of being spiritual, brought to our memories, the interaction between Christ and Nicodemus early on in Christ’s public ministry/life.(JN3)
Nicodemus asks Christ how he does what he does if God is not with him… a way of asking how God is helping him do what he is doing. And Jesus’ answer is a surprise…
Truly, truly, I say to you, if not one be generated from above, he is not able to see the kingdom. A statement confounding the reasoning mind of existence. Increasingly misunderstood, (or perhaps better stated) seen incompletely due to the perspective being held… by Nicodemus and as well, by all the people… looking at what Christ is saying from a human-centered perspective… and thinking with the reasoning mind of existence, trying “to make sense out of this.”
As we move to other of Christ’s teachings… in MT6, we are given (some) clarity that he speaks not of the hereafter, but of the here and unfolding now…
From John: If one is not generated out of the Spirit… from above… he is not able to see the kingdom. And from Mathew: Christ speaks of the kingdom in the prayer to the Father he gives to the disciples when they asked him how to pray… Father of us; Father in heaven… Let Thy Kingdom come… as in heaven, so also on this earth… Let Thy Will be done… as in heaven, so also on this earth.
If our hearts and minds are not generated from above, out of the Spirit… we will not “see” the kingdom, we will not understand the kingdom: we will not act in kingdom ways… all due to our lack of come from above seeing.
Christ telling us of the process that makes possible our joining with him in coming from above, being generated from above – out of the Spirit – such that we will have the ableness (or may see and understand and say Yes to developing the ableness) to join in manifesting and realizing the come from above living kingdom on earth, kingdom that is ongoingly yessing the Father’s will: Everlasting life on this earth as in heaven.
Reason translates “being generated” as being born… born being an event. Being generated, an ongoing, obviously intended-to-be an ongoing upwardly enfolding unfolding process in the here and unfolding now… the process of the kingdom.
That which is generated out of flesh is flesh.(JN3); that generated out of the existence based, reason led perspective remains flesh. That having been generated out of Spirit is spirit. So simple, really… so true… but not see-able with the human centered, reasoning mind of existence. Reminding us of the necessity for remembering Christ’s words, Blessed are those with eyes that can see and ears that can hear.
The Spirit embeds within each and all on this earth, an essence pattern of intent – potential – intended by the Father, the one Source/Creator of all, to be unfolded on this earth in the here and unfolding now… patterns essential to be manifested by each and all for the fulfilment of the Father’s eternalizing living earth intent and command.
And we, humankind, are intended to hear the voice of the Spirit, to see the essence patterns embedded within, to work to understand what we have seen, what we have heard… and to manifest such, through taking up and perfecting the work we have been given that we should do, our unique particular essence pattern of intent, which is a systemic part (no earthly hierarchies; one Source, all else equal in essence) of the whole of humankind and the living earth within which humankind is an intended member. About his process and teachings, Christ later said, Do you understand what I have done for you? If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
Reading further into the dialogue between Nicodemus and Christ, Christ continues, Do not wonder that I said to you, ‘You must be generated from above.’ Like the wind, the Spirit breathes where he desires, and the voice of him you hear, but you do not know from where he comes or where he goes… so is everyone having been generated from the Spirit. This is an earthly thing. It is an ongoing earthly thing, hence “being generated”, not “being born.”
If earthly things I told you and you not believe, how if I tell you heavenly things, will you believe?… If you don’t believe the Spirit speaks to you, how, if you are told come from above heavenly things, will you believe?
Reason says, I must see to believe; Christ says, You must believe to see. The Spirit is continually at work on this earth. We humankind are intended to see the essence pattern of intent embedded within each and all by the Spirit… to ongoingly see, such that we can choose, ongoingly choose, spirit manifesting work – enable manifesting and realizing the essence pattern of intent – potential – embedded within each, all and everything.
Bringing to mind… each child being unique. Work for all my children in the worldis spirit manifesting work… or better stated, can become spirit manifesting work, when we work to see, understand and enable the manifesting and realizing of essence patterns of intent intentionally embedded within.
And bringing to mind the essence virtue of the Gulf Coast land in which we live… imagine each and all taking the essence pattern of intent of this estuarial land – rhythmic soothing, life replenishing, intent reminding – into our hearts and minds, and working to enable its manifesting.
And bringing to mind the essence of petroleum – perpetual products… Imagine living to that. Would we draw it from the earth to burn, or would we create products – ongoingly perpetually recyclable products produced within closed systems – with this precious material?
One cannot, with good conscience, separate and live being both generated from above and from below… and expect the Source of the all can be authentically worshiped. There is coming an hour, and now is, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth… for the Father seeks such ones worshiping Him.(JN4)…
The Spirit embeds the essence pattern of intent within each and all. To those with faith in intent and the intuition of wholeness, the Spirit makes visible the truth, the wisdom, of embedded essence patterns of intent in each and all. We are intended to enable manifesting and realizing such. Take up and perfect the spirit manifesting work we are given that we should do. Making possible our praying to the Father at the end of our lives, Father, I glorified you by perfecting the work that you gave to me that I should do. (JN17)
