Signals from Antiquity: Voice of the Mystic: Part 2

When an astronomer picks up a faint signal from a distant star, galaxy, or other celestial object, the signal may be very weak, obscured by all kinds of cosmic noise. To extract a meaningful signal, the astronomer must filter out the noise.  

With our gospels, I propose that through many of the sayings attributed to Jesus, there is a faint signal belonging to a mystic. In our filtering process, we isolate this signal by asking: Does this sound like something a mystic would say? Following the specific criteria spelled out in Part 1, we can identify likely candidates, filter out the extraneous “noise”, and lift the passage from the distractions of its Gospel context.  

Focusing on the nighttime conversation between the Pharisee Nicodemus and Jesus, I have extracted six passages that sound like something a mystic would say.

1. Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
2. Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 
3. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
4. The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. 
5. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 
6. No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven.

In today’s lesson we’ll look at these sayings and consider the spiritual value of each. In our mainstream, larger-than-life version of Jesus, there is much noise around these faint signals from antiquity. With an understanding of the kinds of signals for which we are looking, we discover a treasure-trove of wisdom and practical guidance.

YouTube: Voice of the Mystic

Part 1

Biblical scholars have worked extensively to identify Jesus’ genuine sayings, separating them from those modified by the Gospel authors or subsequent scribes. Many appear to base their decision on their interpretation of Jesus’ ministry. What was the focus of his message? While many see him as an apocalyptic prophet, preaching the end is near, I believe he was a mystic teaching the kingdom of God, not as a coming event, but as a present, internally accessed spiritual dimension.

When I read passages attributed to him, I ask this simple question: Does this sound like something a mystic would say? To address this question, I look for sayings that include any of these four elements:  

• God and the kingdom of God are understood as an omnipresent spiritual dimension that is present and intuitively rather than intellectually grasped.
• The soul is an expression of God. God and the soul exist in a relationship of oneness.
• Communication with God is an internal experience accessed through the narrow gate of the contemplative process. As the prophet Jeremiah stated, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts.” Jeremiah 31:33
• One’s thinking influences the nature of one’s experience. The beginning of change is a change of faith and affirmative thinking.

In this series, I’ll demonstrate this selection process using the story of the Pharisee Nicodemus visiting Jesus in the night. From this conversation, I have identified six passages that sound like something a mystic would say. I will also explain why this approach is different from that of a standard metaphysical interpretation.  

It is almost certain that the encounter between this Pharisee and Jesus is the creation of the author. Understanding how he did this and why, will shed much light on how the gospels were developed. It is believed that these authors were working from collections of sayings and stories that circulated orally for decades before they were written down. These ancient story tellers worked much like story tellers work today, creating scenes and linking them together to follow a plot. The spiritual gems contained in these scenes are the treasure we seek.

YouTube: Own Your Path

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44)

One of the most important components of Jesus’ teachings was his understanding of the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of heaven. Through parables like this, it becomes clear he wasn’t describing the traditional image of heaven with pearly gates and streets of gold. In Luke, he points out that the kingdom is within. This requires a whole new way of thinking.

My quest for an understanding of this kingdom began in the “field” of mainstream Christianity. Who owns this field? A two-thousand-year-old religious institution. How do I purchase this field? I become willing to sell or let go of all preconceived ideas. If I don’t take ownership of my quest for truth, I will always be the trespasser.

The treasure I found is in the teaching of Jesus that points to the kingdom of God as an inner experience. The owners of the field say this kingdom is a coming event and that Jesus will return and usher it in. The more I take ownership of this field, however, the more I see this is not what he taught.

Each one of us is an expression of God. Our path to understanding this relationship of oneness with God is a very personal quest. No one else has worked it out for us. Yes, there are those who have written about this path and given us valuable insights. Ultimately, however, our relationship with God is ours and ours alone. Jesus said the gate that leads to this path is narrow, that few find it. The reason this is true is because few are willing to sell their indoctrinated possessions and purchase the field.

I have had the experience of standing on a beach and seeing the ocean stretch out before me. It occurred to me that this was my ocean. This is my place on the beach that allows me to have this experience. The same is true with God. I’m standing on a beach with the wholeness of God in my possession. My relationship with God is mine and mine alone. I have every right to walk this path on my own terms.

YouTube: The Question of Evil

In her book, Lessons in Truth, Emilie Cady made this controversial statement: There is no evil. Over the years, many have asked me why I thought she would make such a statement. You can’t watch the news for ten minutes without seeing there is no shortage of evil. How could this woman of such profound insight be so naïve about what’s going on all around us?

She wasn’t naïve. She was approaching the problem of evil from the absolute point of view. Like most of us, Cady was exposed to the mainstream Christian belief in two powers: good and evil, God and Satan. For me, it often sounded like Satan was just as powerful as God. There is a strong negative drag on anyone who believes there is an evil force working against their every effort to live a good life. Cady was offering a way out of this trap.

By saying there is no evil, she is saying that a power of evil does not exist as a first cause. For a helpful analogy, we can turn to the law of mathematics. In mathematics, there is no law that forces error. Error is not a power but the result of our miscalculation. Because there is no power that is seeking to trip us up with wrong answers, we can erase the chalkboard and correct our mistake.

What we call evil at the human level has its origin in human consciousness. People are capable of heinous acts, but none can say the devil made me do it. There is always an underlying psychological imbalance involved.

Unity’s foundation statement affirms there is only one Presence and one power in the universe, God, the good, omnipotent. When we make this statement, we are essentially stepping up to our chalkboard, erasing our miscalculations, and starting over. Regardless of what has transpired, we envision the best and highest outcome for ourselves and all involved. We release all feeling that some negative power is working against our highest good. We affirm that one Presence and one power is at work smoothing out the rough places, bringing light where there seemed to be darkness, and bringing peace where there once was chaos.

YouTube: The Still Small Voice

When I think of the still small voice, I envision the soul as an invisible fountain of energy quietly pressing out through our mind. This reminds me of the metaphorical water Jesus spoke of when he said to the woman at the well, “The water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (Jn 4:14).

Place an empty glass under a running faucet. The glass fills and then overflows. If we think of this as the water welling up within us, the overflow represents this invisible energy constantly nudging us at the intuitive level. This is what the Bible calls the still small voice.

Of course, we’re not talking about water or voices. We’re talking about the spiritual essence of our being, that part of us that often gets buried in the busy distractions of daily life. I’ve often said we desire more because we are more, but we don’t always associate desire with a spiritual process. More often we associate it with a thing or a condition we hope to achieve. All desire can be traced to the need to know our wholeness, that something more that is pushing out through us like a cup overflowing.

It’s a good exercise to sit quietly and acknowledge this inner nudging, this desire for more, but doing so without associating it with acquisitions or accomplishments. Simply recognize that, without any effort on your part, something stirs from the quiet depths of your being. Imagine it as the still small voice of God filling the cup of your heart to overflowing. See this overflow healing your body, inspiring your mind, smoothing out the crooked places in your life. Place all your concerns in this inner fountain and feel them being carried away in perfect and peaceful resolution.

So much of what Jesus taught encouraged his listeners to trust God to supply their needs. He would often go off to lonely places to pray, to be recharged by his own still small voice. He knew the value of this empowering practice and I have little doubt that he made it a central part of his message. The creative life force flows from the inside out. He said to cleanse the inside of the cup first and the outside would take care of itself. This desire to have more is our natural desire to be more. Be still and know this still small voice is your key to greater freedom.  

YouTube: Are You Saved?

This subject is prompted by a couple of contacts I’ve had over the last few weeks. One came through YouTube comments correcting all of my errors concerning the end times. The other was a phone call from a concerned woman from Arizona who discovered the church website and felt the need to bring me into alignment with the Bible, at least as she understood it. I love responding to those who are genuinely interested in what we teach. The moment I discover the questions are being used as a setup for answers they already have, the conversation ends.

Why would someone bother to reach out to a complete stranger, especially a minister, and begin questioning their religious beliefs? Their intentions are good, for they’ve been taught that a soul on the wrong religious track is a soul in danger of eternal damnation. However, the thought of spending an eternity surrounded by a bunch of self-righteous Bible thumpers isn’t exactly my idea of a heavenly reward.

Fear, guilt, and shame represent the holy trinity of controlling features incorporated in our religious upbringing. The sin and punishment model has been put forward for so long and from such authority that many accept it as a given. On one hand we’re told that God is love, and the grace of God is our hope. On the other hand, as my caller suggested, those who do not walk in accordance with the Word of God will find that things do not work out so well in the long run.

Somewhere in the middle of Kansas there is a billboard that asks this question: “If you died today, where would you spend eternity?”

It’s a great question worth serious consideration, and a drive through Kansas certainly offers ample time to think about it. Those asking the question assume there are but two answers. You know you are making spiritual progress when you reserve the right to consider alternatives. As for me, I’ll be here, in the presence of God, just like I have always been. I don’t think God would have it any other way.