If we consider Jesus as a person who walked the path of Peace, it helps remove the religion which has come to own Him as their icon.
Jesus was, just as you and I, a spirit in a body looking for another way. Granted he may have already known his ‘mission’ yet as a human being there is much that can be learnt from how his spiritual life was enacted whilst down here.
He did not avoid conflict, his life was surrounded in much controversy and brought him to the attention of the political authorities of the time. It was not pleasant for him in that regard.
However, he did not advocate avoiding such confrontation, because his was a life demonstrating conviction to his belief in a Higher Source of our creation. This meant that external circumstances were there to be embraced and not avoided. And in the long term, this is the only way to keep your peace, through no resistance.
Although the little we know of him is shrouded in other people’s stories and written by other hands, we could surmise that he, himself, emanated a certain truth which grounded him and kept him aligned with peace and love.
The bible does not really offer any real information on how to have a relationship with Spirit except to cite parables and thou-shalt- not’s. This is not helpful in learning how to be connected to the truth.
Jesus life teaches us that we do not, in fact, cannot avoid life’s atrocities, as he himself demonstrated. This is because once you have decided in earnest to answer the call of that 'something else,' which no real word can correctly name or deal with, you need the experience, the exposure to those circumstances that will strengthen your resolve. But you are not being tested.
And, yes, we bring them to us, for we are not impotent students. We are not making a declaration and then waiting for God to intervene and 'save us'.
No, once we accept the call from within as real, then it is up to us to take every opportunity and experience and use it to strengthen that resolve which will take us home. This is because we have free will.
Going back to Jesus and his cohorts, we can see that at the time he was being persecuted, his followers were not as supportive as perhaps they believed they would have been. It was both their choice and level of commitment to answering their own call as to why this was.
Jesus did not blame them, he understood, and although there are lines to the contrary in the bible, Jesus did not judge his brothers.
we are, after all, on the same continuum, just at different places.
But does this mean we are pacifists and ‘roll-over-ers’ ?
No. If we are aligned with our highest intent and a situation occurs which appears aggravating to that alignment, then whatever arises out of that, whether it be speech or actions, will be sourced from our higher-order thinking. Our only 'job' is to stay in touch with our Source. And yes, we can do it.
Miracles are, after all, coming through something that you thought you never could. This includes everyday situations or non-life-threatening occurrences.
However, we should still very much guard our thinking, or we could quickly become a judge who believes it knows best. We do not.
Our thinking down here is constantly marred by the earth muck we have incarnated ourselves into, and it is always trying to assert itself. It wants to survive.
All we can do is be aware that our mind is constantly active, never a still moment does it have. It is always creating something for us to attach ourselves onto, and that person we are annoyed by or dislike is the perfect hat-rack for our ego to hijack our Higher-self connection and convince us it is ok to retaliate.
Jesus practised peace, innately. His life emanated peace as a natural result of his belief in another Source to life. He never avoided conflict nor did he add to it.
Let us not run and hide from this world, it is after all, of our own creation. Instead, let us walk bravely knowing who is at our side and that we will be supported with all we need in every circumstance. But we must take that step off the ledge, trusting that a stone will be laid down for us upon which to make our next move.
Bravery is always scary but once you start wearing it, you feel bereft without it.
But let us not be heroes as this word would dictate, instead, let us follow His ways and be led quietly to peace, not avoiding any one brother we meet along the way, knowing they cross our path for our own learning and a mutual blessing.
For His is the way, the truth, the life. Amen.
