Author: J Douglas Bottorff

Doug is minister of Independent Unity, author of 8 books, musician and photography enthusiast. He lives with his wife and cat in western Colorado.

Emotional Independence

Through spiritual means

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When many of us think of self-help as a means of improving our life through changing our attitude, we may focus mainly on our thinking. As important as this is, we do well to consider our emotions and who or what is controlling them. Is it even possible to choose how we feel, or are we satisfied to let the world make this choice for us?

I have pointed out that we can change our thinking but still feel as if bad things are brewing, like being caught in an undercurrent that pulls us out into water way over our heads. We may scarcely be aware of this emotional riptide until we suddenly notice how far from shore we are. Then, it doesn’t take much to send us into a fear-based reaction to the smallest of things.

How do we gain emotional independence? The first step is to realize we can. The emotions we harbor are of our own choosing. If we do not accept this as a fundamental fact, then the world will choose our emotions for us. And we all know what that is like.

The second step is to ask ourselves how we would feel if this emotionally unsettling appearance was resolved. We allow ourselves to experience the emotional release into the serenity of feeling all is well. Freedom, peace, joy, and new creative stirrings take the place of emotionally induced stress. Maybe not instantly, but we can get there.  

When Jesus spoke of the truth that sets us free, the freedom we long for is first felt at the emotional level. We might think of it as unconditional emotion, feelings that arise, not because of a positive turn of events, but because we feel blessed to simply be alive. In this case, our emotion is prompted by an inner knowing, the stabilizing awareness that we are part of something much grander than our ever-changing surroundings.

We can gain emotional independence, first by realizing we can, and secondly by learning to feel the freedom we desire. Check yourself at the feeling level now. How would you feel if all your life’s burdens were suddenly lifted?

Is Jesus God?

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The debate about the nature of Jesus, whether he was a man or God, has been ongoing for centuries. It can be traced back to the early days of Christianity, with different interpretations and understandings emerging. In the first few centuries after Jesus’ death, various theological perspectives arose, leading to intense debates among scholars, theologians, and religious leaders. The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD played a crucial role in clarifying the divinity of Jesus, affirming the belief in his full humanity and full divinity. However, the debate continued to evolve and resurface in different forms throughout history. Different Christian denominations and theological schools of thought have approached this question differently, resulting in ongoing discussions and disagreements. Today, the debate about the nature of Jesus as both man and God remains a significant topic of theological exploration and interpretation.

To the mystic, the question is a no brainer. Jesus, like all human beings, is an expression of God. When we visit the ocean and see a tidepool, we do not wonder if the tidepool is the ocean. It exists because of the ocean. And the same water that is in the tidepool is also in the ocean. When the tide rises, the pool and the ocean are one. The human being, including Jesus, is like the tidepool. Our life essence is God, but we are not all there is of God. We are expressions of God.

The people of Jesus’ day, like people today, see God as separate from humanity. But in truth, we are all one with God. Our physicality, like the defined tidepool, gives us the impression that we are separate from God. We are taught this from childhood, and we are taught that Jesus is a human unlike any other. This is unfortunate. If we see the tide come in over one hundred tidepools, all equally merge with the ocean.

The breakdown of this analogy is the physical boundary that defines the pool. In our case, the boundary is perceptual. The ocean of God perpetually mingles with our soul. All people possess the same spiritual architecture as Jesus. We are all human and we are all divine. The difference is in our degree of knowing. Most define themselves only as a tidepool. Some realize they exist because there is an ocean as the source of their being. Jesus was a man who taught our oneness with  God.

No Post Sunday

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Friends, I wanted to let you know that I will not be posting a regular program this Sunday. My ninety-four year old mother passed, and we are in Missouri for her service. Thank you in advance for your prayers and thoughts of support. She was a strong woman who lived a good life, and I have no doubt she’ll carry her virtues into her next experience.

I should be back online by next Sunday. Thanks for supporting our channel.

The Whispering Messiah

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I believe Jesus intentionally distanced himself from any association with the expected Messiah. Making any claim to that title would put him in a position that did not represent the message he believed he was born to teach. The expected Messiah would usher in an external kingdom of God that would change the religious, social, and political landscape. The kingdom he spoke of was an inner awakening to the presence of God.

Why would I refer to Jesus as the whispering Messiah? With literally millions of followers around the world, he appears to have done much more than whisper. Appearances, however, can be deceiving. Biblical scholar Bart Ehrman believes Jesus had about twenty followers in his core organization. Considering he focused most of his ministry on the tiny villages that dotted the countryside, the impression we’re given by the Gospel writers of thousands following is, no doubt, an extreme exaggeration.  

The idea of the whispering Messiah comes from my belief that the true teachings of Jesus were misunderstood. Through decades of oral tradition passed down to the authors of the Gospels, the message changed from an inner awakening to an external expectation of the dawning of a new age. Though fragments of the teachings of the Jewish mystic survive, the loudest voice of the Gospels is that of the evangelists who wrote the books. Theirs is the message that caught the fire that roared over the world. So, we have to learn to listen for that whisper of a voice.

The God of which Jesus spoke is not the wholly other that exists beyond the comprehension of the average person. God is Spirit. To worship in spirit is to go within and feel our way to the inner sanctuary, our very own holy of holies. It is as if we stand on the beach with the surf washing over our feet. We lift our eyes to behold the vast ocean in which we stand. This place on the beach is ours, and ours alone, yet the ocean belongs to us all, and we belong to it.

Nothing from the heavens is coming to change the world. The whispering Messiah, that still small voice within us, prompts us to lift our vision and see the vastness of this ocean of spirit in which we live and move and have our being.

What Is Consciousness?

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To be conscious means to have a subjective awareness of oneself and the surrounding environment. It involves being awake, alert, and perceptive of one’s thoughts, feelings, sensations, and experiences. If you’ve undergone surgery, then you understand that the anesthesiologist’s job is to render you nonconscious; all bodily sensations are put on hold.

When we talk about developing a consciousness of prosperity, healing, or improved self-esteem, we’re talking about changing our mindset. Changing from a consciousness of lack to a consciousness of abundance and an expectation of greater good involves a change in beliefs, self-image, the type of language we use, and our level of expectation. The whole of our belief system sets up a vibe, a kind of harmonic resonance that manifests as an environmental equivalent.

The primary focus of Jesus was not on the afterlife, salvation, religious conversion, the end times, social reform, or any of the causes normally attributed to him. Your faith has made you whole. Say to this mountain, be cast into the sea and do not doubt it in your heart. Ask, seek, knock. Be persistent. It’s not what goes into the mouth, but what comes out that has the greatest impact. All things are possible for the one who believes. These things relate to consciousness. He was teaching people that there is a connection between the inside, the consciousness, and the outside, one’s life.  

Does this mean that we draw difficult circumstances because of the kinds of beliefs we hold in our consciousness? Most of the people in Jesus’ audience were poor, struggling through a hand to mouth existence. He was not ignoring this or casting any blame. Neither was he giving them false hope, telling them how to think and grow rich. He was telling them that a change of mind would stimulate a change in the choices of attitudes that each person carried. He was telling them that a new freedom could be theirs if they learned to pay attention to the mental and emotional video that ran through their heads all day. Every challenge stirred opportunities to discover the self-defeating beliefs under which they labored, to cast these out and start anew. A simple change of consciousness could mean a substantial change in life.

The End is Near

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The disciples said to Jesus, “Tell us, how will our end come?” Jesus said, “Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death.” The Gospel of Thomas #18

People have been predicting the end of the world for centuries, with various reasons and beliefs fueling these predictions. Throughout history, there have been many instances where individuals or groups have claimed to know the exact date or event that would bring about the end of the world. These predictions often arise from religious beliefs, scientific theories, or a combination of both. Some notable examples include the Y2K scare in 2000, the Mayan calendar prediction in 2012, and various religious prophecies throughout different time periods. Obviously, none of these predictions materialized.  

In the days of Jesus, the Jews were looking for their messiah and the end of days, when the old order would pass, and the new age would begin. Christianity transformed this expectation to the return of the resurrected Jesus and the establishment of God’s kingdom. The book of Revelation presents a very complicated view of this expectation. As a Jew, many scholars believe Jesus adopted this expectation and may have even considered himself the one who would rule in this new kingdom.

I disagree with this assumption. As a mystic, Jesus would not be looking for changes in the social and political landscapes. He would understand the expected kingdom as an internal awakening. The old world that passes away is the belief that God and man are separate. To the mystic, the new world comes with the revelation of oneness, God centered within every person. As Jeremiah and Isaiah envisioned, God writes his laws within the heart.  

In the above passage from Thomas, Jesus shows the end is near, so near in fact, it arrives the moment one becomes willing to think of God and themselves in a new way. The world as we know it does not need to end. We change the way we see ourselves and the way we experience the world changes. The end is just as near as our willingness to be born anew.

Your God Connection

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 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ John 6:45

My research for talks and writing often takes me into the territory of mainstream religion. The commentary I read clearly treats God as a super being, brooding over the problems we’re creating, just biding his time before he steps in and straightens out the whole mess.

The notion of God as an indwelling presence is not as easy to imagine. What was Jesus thinking when he encapsulated passages from Jeremiah and Isiah into the simple statement of being taught by God? We know that many of his teachings involved the character of consciousness. The reminder that you can’t get figs from thistles shows the importance of our state of mind. Even a wavering faith, as small as a mustard seed, is enough to heal a physical condition. And believing you have received what you ask for in prayer ties a successful outcome to a positive and expectant attitude. These examples strongly suggest our God connection is intact, in full operation right now, and is always within our reach.

When Jesus warned against judging by appearances, he was telling us not to form our inner experience based on what we see and hear. Our God connection allows us to make different choices. I once knew an older woman who literally radiated a perpetual air of peace. Someone asked her how she maintained such an even temper. She said that when someone made a controversial statement intended to stir anger or disgust, she would simply say, “Yes, it does seem that way, doesn’t it?” This response allowed her to honor the person’s viewpoint without agreeing or feeling the need to challenge it. She said she also applied this to herself. When her eyes and ears gave a negative report, she would say to herself, “Yes, it does seem this way, doesn’t it?” It was her way of reminding herself that she was not obligated to engage the apparent controversy.  

Your God connection gives you limitless possibilities for dealing with life’s challenges. When circumstances tell you it’s time to worry, you can say, “It does seem that way, doesn’t it?” You can then choose a different response.

Let Life Happen

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“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” – Allen Saunders

John Lennon often gets credit for this bit of wisdom because he includes it in his song, Beautiful Boy. The credit, however, goes to journalist and cartoonist, Allen Saunders. Like all wisdom, the source is not as important as the insight it offers.

I thought of the above quote a few evenings ago. I was doing my usual evening cat herding—rounding up our three outdoor cats into the garage for the night. Most of the time, all three rush in without coaxing. This night, two decided to play hard to get. I felt a twinge of anxiety creep in as the evening progressed and there were still no cats. Just then, as if someone flipped a switch, I felt this message: Let life happen.

Like all minor problems, this one resolved rather quickly. The two outlaws sauntered up, as if to remind me that the clock of the universe runs on their time, not mine. Then, a weightier issue struck me at that moment. My twinge of anxiety came from wanting life to happen differently. Like the television-addicted Chancey Gardener (Peter Sellers, Being There), I was pushing the remote channel changer, and nothing was happening.  

Let life happen is, of course, another way of saying, Let go and let God. Maybe that phrase is getting a little worn. Sometimes a slight change of wording can be all it takes to breathe new life into any time-tested affirmation of faith.

Is it possible to apply this simple idea to something more than a pair of obstinate cats? What if we understood that our purpose in life is simply to let life happen? Wouldn’t this mean we could stop striving to control everything and actually enjoy this journey? Are we too preoccupied with protecting our anxiety prone weaknesses to fully appreciate our God given strengths?

It seems we are always so busy making other plans that we do not see the life that is happening all around us. Perhaps this simple reminder will, in our own cat-herding situation, provide the needed catalyst to Let Life Happen.

Through A Glass Darkly

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For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV

This passage came to mind when one of our regular viewers raised a series of questions that I know are on the minds of many in our audience. “How much are we bound by thought living in the human body? Do we actually omit any decision making from our soul? Are we here for a human experience viewing the world from the body’s perspective?”

The spiritual quest can feel like a hobby compared to the day job we have of living life in a physical body. Much of what we read and hear sounds good, but its practical value often crumbles in the face of “real-life” issues. Paul seems to think the day is coming when it will all make perfect sense.

I have said that I value near-death research because it gives us a glimpse into the consciousness of the soul, free of the confines of the body. The biggest complaint people have is that their return to their body strips them of the indescribable beauty and freedom of unbridled consciousness. One woman said she did not want to come back, but resigned to the notion that there must be something more she needed to learn from her human experience, though she didn’t have a clue what that was.

Many say we are here to learn to love, but then they say the love they experience on the other side is far greater than anything we experience here. How can we learn to love in such a way? We can’t. Those who experience this absolute love do not learn how to do it. Once the curtain of physicality lifts, they realize that a self-existent reality engulfs them entirely, independent of thinking, beliefs, learning, or any effort to evoke love.  

I do not have an answer to why we would choose to incarnate. The consensus seems to be that we had our reason, but we have forgotten. I fully believe that the spiritual teachings that appeal to us do so because we recognize something in them we already know at the deepest level. Our job is to keep asking, seeking, and knocking and the door will open. Then we shall know, even as we are known.  

Quest For the Lost Sheep

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He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24

This passage has always intrigued me, but only recently has it taken on special meaning. Who were these lost sheep? From what I now gather, they were Jews who did not choose to live under the restrictions imposed by the 613 commandments found in the Torah.[1] While the religious system deemed them as sinners, today we might see them as the type who had exposure to the mainstream but, like many of us, prefer to define the conditions of their own spiritual inquiry.   

The concept of the kingdom of God within was a complete reversal to the teaching that God and man are separate. Jesus would naturally seek an audience who was open-minded enough to explore new ideas, and these so-called lost sheep of Israel perfectly fit the bill. For them, his commonsense approach was probably a refreshing change. “And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22). For me, this also throws a different light on his parable of the lost sheep, where the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one. It’s probably fair to assume that 1% of the Jewish population was open to his radical new way of thinking about the individual’s relationship of oneness with God.

Jesus challenged the system by ignoring several rules concerning the Sabbath. Yet he said he did not come to break the law but to fulfill it. Think of it this way: a stop sign tells you to stop. If you run the stop sign, you break the law. If you stop, look both ways, then proceed, you fulfill the law. You do not take the sign literally and stop indefinitely.

Just as the higher purpose of the stop sign is to ensure safety, Jesus looked beyond the letter of the law to its higher purpose of spiritual freedom. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a sabbath day?” (Luke 14:5). A good teacher knows his audience. The lost sheep of Israel finally found their shepherd.

[1] 1st 5 books of the Old Testament