...a story of enlightenment
It wasn't Chopra's style of writing that was challenging. In fact he is an excellent story teller. Keeping the reader engaged with the unfolding of lives. Weaving plots and story lines in the way one would sitting around a fire while passing on a Great Story. I thoroughly enjoyed his style of writing and story telling. His gentleness could be found in his words, his desire for full Truth and Surrender ever present and his honouring of Jesus and what he symbolizes remained forever at the heart of this story.
This book stretched me in the way of my religious upbringing, which, whether I live it or not, is woven into my foundations. To see Jesus as such a flawed human, as Chopra presented him challenged me, but for this reader, that challenge was welcomed.
When being brought up in any sort of institutional structure the values, the beliefs, the written "rules" permeate our being. They become a deep part of our DNA, so to speak.
If you come to find you are someone like me, a wandered, a journeyer, a seeker of my own path, you often find yourself in situations that challenge that structure and those parts of your DNA. The stories that were fed to me, over time, become like fairy tales and surreal because I came know them so well...or so I thought. Really when given some things over and over and over again, in blind faith, it all can become one dimensional and the richness of character, the messiness of the real life, the deeper dimensions become blurred so much so they almost fail to exist. This for me, is not a good thing for I have found that many important Truths are lost in the world of one dimension.
So it is in this way I felt challenged at the beginning. The human Jesus, the inadequate Jesus, the uncertain Jesus that Chopra writes about rattled some things in my lower structure and I enjoyed it.
Chopra takes us on a journey with a young man who is about to discover his life purpose. One he is completely unsure of, one that he even is resisting. Everything this young man once knew and the institutional foundation that he was brought up on is completely being challenged and we are taken along for the ride of discovery. We walk with Jesus in his uncertainty, we walk with him as he makes decisions against his flesh to mover towards spiritual. We walk with him as he accepts a new face of God and what it means to believe in that which is bigger than ourselves. As he discovers the Great Light and the Great Darkness we learn with him about the Love that waits for us to use it. A Love that is not earned, but given freely for all who have the courage to take from it.
I also came to realize that part of the challenge was about the timing of my reading the book. I ended up taking it with me on my Pilgrimage to Colombia. This turned out to be the perfect time for such a read. I felt fully present and engrossed in Jesus' journey as I was walking out my own. I felt we walked together, he and I, as we discovered ourselves and the God with in and all around.
The following are two of my favorite passages from the book...it was hard to choose so I decided on two that impacted me the most on a very personal level.
"This water is like the Holy Spirit. " He slowly tilted the jug and let it's content stream over his head. "If I let the Spirit rain over me, it makes me pure and clean but half an hour from now it will be dried up and blow away. Sweat and dirt will soil me again.
He took the jug and filled it once more holding it close to his chest. "But if I take the same water and cover it and put it in a cool place, it will last for days. You all know this." Jesus waited to see what effect his words would have.
"Explain your meaning," someone called out impatiently.
"Your heart is like this jug-fill it with the Holy Spirit and keep it inside yourself. Then it won't dry up and blow away. One day you will be amazed, for God know where your secret places are. When you least expect it the joy with over flow and then you will walk through fire or do anything you want. Nothing is impossible when the Spirit is full within." pg. 129
I want you to sit with that for a while. Chew it, ponder what Jesus says and take the time to write down what it says to you. If you feel so inclined I would love to have you share your thoughts in the comment section or email me if you would rather keep it personal. I ask because I long to learn how others see things...it fascinates me. We are mirrors for one another...this I believe to be true.
The second passage is quite extensive, but one that saturated my whole being...this is the story tellers account of what transpired when Jesus came to stay with him....
"The truth I am about to tell you," I said, "would mean nothing to an ordinary man. You don't realize, but you are the rarest of all the rare. You were born only to serve God and yet that is not what makes you rare. Others have been born, many others, who only want to serve God. You, however,are like a feather poised on the edge. You don't need a shove, I can tip you over with a breath."
... Before I could utter another word the door flew open with a bang. Started, Jesus half sat up. The man was outlined in the doorway. "Don't be startled," I said. I was relaxed and confident. "It is to be expected."
"Who is it?" Jesus whispered. The figure didn't move or speak. It look vaguely human, but there was little doubt that it wasn't.
"Your adversary is worried," I said. "He wants to stop me."
For an instant Jesus saw an image in his mind of a white rabbit pounced on by a white fox, the rabbit squirming helplessly in the fox's jaw until it's neck cracked and went limp. The next instant the doorway was empty and the shadows figure was in the room. A cloud passed over the moon. Now the only way to detect the intruders presence was by the faint padding of his footsteps on the floor. Should I be afraid? Jesus wondered. I answered, "Not if you are who I think you are." I raised my voice, "You should listen too. You'll learn something."
In response there was a harsh growl close to where we lay; the room was filled with a fetid odor. A wave of cold terror struck Jesus in the chest.
His body trembled, but he felt my hand on his shoulder. "Steady. Ignore him and listen. You already know that God is everywhere. But you haven't taken the next step , which is why you wandered the face of the earth until you found me. I am here to give you the knowledge that will provide the finale release. If God is everywhere he is in you. If he is in you then you are everywhere. Do you understand?"
Jesus trembled as if struck by a terrible fit; my words had struck deep. He no longer heard me speaking. But someone did. The voice of God had been absent for many months. Now it returned again, only this time it was also Jesus' voice, the two blended that they couldn't be told apart.
"You cannot change the world as long as you are a person. As one man, you will never escape the war between good and evil."
At this the intruder growled menacingly and Jesus saw two eyes glowing re in the dark. But the threat was useless, the voice continued.
"Only someone who know the reality beyond good and evil can know me. I am in all things, without division. This Satan wants you to believe that he rules a place where I am not. But even he is made of God."
The glowing red eyes dared closer and when they were directly over Jesus the shot fire. The voice went on,"The Adversary doesn't want anyone to know this, because it would destroy his power. He can hardly admit it to himself. If he is God, the war between us came to an end and he thrives on war."
Suddenly the intruder emitted a deafening shriek. The walls of the hut shook. tears rolled down Jesus' cheeks. I whispered close to his ear. "The final stroke must come from you. It can never be taught, only discovered within. Keep listening."
Jesus regained control with difficulty, the voice waited and then it said, "Only someone who can see the demons as part of God is free. Good and Evil dissolve. The veil drops away, and all you see is Divine Light-inside and outside, everywhere. The sight of a rotting corpse becomes as blessed as a rainbow. There is no reality but the Light, and you are that Light. You soul is the world's soul. In your resurrection will be the resurrection of the world."
The whole time it spoke, Jesus held his breathe without knowing it. Now he released it in one long sigh. Mysteriously, as the air left his lungs it was replaced by a warm glow. The sensation was strange. His whole body seemed to deflate, but when he look inside, Jesus saw what was really happening. Every experience he had ever had was leaving him. He saw a swarm of memories flowing our, like countless fluttering birds flying our of a tree at dawn.
I whispered again, "Let them all go. Lose yourself. It is the only way you will ever find yourself."
This opened the flood gates inside. Jesus saw the glowing eyes move towards the door. Without knowing why he sprang up to follow. I didn't stop him. The eyes drifted away from the hut. Were they really Satan's or merely some phantoms? The next thing Jesus felt was a blast of frigid air over his naked body. He was running barefoot over the crusted snow, his heels punching deep as he ran. The snow field was so white that it made the moon light seem to come from below as much as above.
Let me see you.
Jesus willed his thought to catch up to the Adversary. The glowing eyes turned on him, and a shadowy body began to take shape. Jesus kept running, holding our his arms to embrace it. But the apparition disappeared and his arms circled around the smoke. Jesus bent over panting with exhaustion and stitches of pain in his ribs. The eeriness of the moonlight made him feel as if he were floating in mid air. Only the icy cold beneath his feet told him he was still on earth." starting at pg 218
I realize that passage is a lot to chew on, and maybe some of you will not even want to do so. That is ok.
I offer this to those who wonder...who wonder about the under lying battle, who wonder about their place it in, who wonder about Love, Freedom and the Truth about facing our demons...overcoming our shadows.
Again, if you feel compelled to share, I would love to hear your thoughts.
For those who are interested in the Spiritual, interested in Freedom on a dimensional level...this book is for you.
This book finds a permanent place in my book shelf.
I realize this was a long post
I thank you for taking the time
not for me
but for you
on this day called Good Friday
I ponder on the sacrifice made in Love
and also my responsibility in response to such a gesture...
love and light my lovelies
