Reconceiving

How would you respond if everyone you know, and those who you don’t, believed and proudly confessed how you were a blood-thirsty warrior intent on destroying anyone who disagreed with what you have deemed to be the truth? You might pass it off as a one-time event and not let it ruffle your feathers. However, consider how this narrative about who you are is repeated every day, throughout the world, in the multitude of tongues from over 7 billion people at all hours of the day, generation after generation. Sure, everyone has the right to express their feelings and beliefs about someone, but does this also apply to your closest family members, people who grew up with you, have first-hand knowledge of your character and actions and how they have evolved with you until today?

You know in your heart that what these people are saying about you is a lie. But what are you going to do about it? Tell all of them, over 7 billion, the truth? Are you just going to ignore them and let them live in their deception? What about those closest to you who you interact with daily? How will you respond to a son, daughter, husband, wife, parent, co-worker, friend, doctor, even your pastor when they expect you to wreak bloody vengeance at any moment you deem fit?

Don’t think for a moment that this is just a thought experiment designed to broaden your mind. This is an actual on-going process which is being and has been conducted 24/7/365 days since mankind began to conceive who, or what, God is. It has never mattered what religious dogma or doctrine has been promoted to the dominate position in the world, the idea of capturing God in a form favorable to the current agenda of mankind has always been a priority, regardless of the truth of the matter.

So, let me ask the question: What is your agenda with God? You have a purpose whether you know it or not. You are trying to get something to give you an advantage over those around you. Maybe it’s an increase in finances; a better job or favor with your boss; a new home or car; a husband, wife, or children; better health for yourself or a loved one; intervention in the life a family member who is dealing with addiction, depression or is suicidal; political aspirations for your community, state or nation; social justice for any of a number of issues being presented as “deserving.”

Considering all these I’ve highlighted, and those I haven’t, but you know about, the prevailing image of God for these agendas is one of a vengeful warrior. God will “fight” for you, subdue and slay the enemy on your behalf. Yes, blood will freely flow as your enemies cry for mercy from “your” god. Yup, you read that correctly: Your god. Selah.

Now I understand how there are a number of scriptural passages which declare God to be a warrior, yet there is testimony which claims that no one has ever seen God because to do so would result in death. Still, Jesus boldly claimed, “…The Father and I are one…if you have seen me, you have seen the Father,” however, no one seemed to die looking at Jesus.

Jesus was pretty clear that he was not a warrior, a fact which was very unpopular with the masses who believed he had come as “their” Messiah to free them from the bondage of Rome. This warrior motif about Jesus even persisted long past his ascension and is even crafted into the end-time vision of the revelator who saw him, upon a white horse, tunic soaked in blood, a sword proceeding from his mouth striking down the enemies of his kingdom.

Jesus proclaims, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” I hope you realize by now how the prevailing thought of the God Jesus called “Father” was, and still is, one of vengeance and retribution against all who were not of the house of Israel, the offspring of Abraham. Let’s take a moment to follow this warrior motif projected onto Jesus and play out the events surrounding his death, resurrection and ascension.

Jesus is betrayed by a follower; arrested by the temple guard; falsely accused by the priestly class; abandoned by his disciples; punished by the Roman occupiers; offered freedom but denied it by the general populace swayed by the priestly class covert influence; crucified by the Romans; hurriedly buried in a tomb in order to be observant of the holy customs leading up to Passover; he arises on the third day and calls together his disciples to meet.

You’re a warrior, right? Just like Jesus, right? What is your resurrection agenda? Do you exact retribution on the disciples who abandoned you? Or maybe you take out your vengeance upon the priestly class who falsely accused you and then employed the Roman occupiers to have you murdered? Surely there is the need to cleanse the people of anyone who falsely pronounced judgement upon you rather than cry out for your freedom? Certainly, vengeance is due to the Romans who nailed you to a cross and thrust a spear into your side. These are all warranted actions of a warrior-god, right?

No one comes to the Father except by the way, the truth and the life.

Jesus and the Father are one. How Jesus responds is how the Father responds. “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” “God is love.” “…not my will but your will be done.”

The foundational training of religious studies is that God is ever present, all knowing and all powerful. This is truth. Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God is within each of us. It isn’t coming some day when you hopefully get your act together – it is here already, right now, wherever you are and in whatever condition you are in. It will never leave you, ever.

A kingdom is a place where a king abides. It follows the king. Wherever the king resides, his kingdom is present. Again, Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God is within each of us. At no point did he claim that you had to pray a special prayer for this kingdom to come. Neither did he claim that you needed to confess all your past foibles, great and small, to experience the present reality of this kingdom. Stunningly he never once claimed that the presence of the kingdom was any different for Jews, Gentiles, Greeks, Buddhist, Hindus, pagans, atheists, or any other occupant of this planet. The king is NO respecter of person throughout his entire kingdom! All have been included – no invitation to join required.

Let me take a moment to address this no respecter issue. The kingdom is in all, making the king in all too. There is not a little bit of the king in one and a little bit of the king in another, so on and so on. All of the king is in all of the people. I trust you recognize the implication of this truth: The king doesn’t have any enemies in his kingdom. If no enemies, then being a blood-thirsty warrior king is…

So, if you are asking the king for relief from another, the king has no choice but to offer the same relief to the one you’re praying against. Is it possible that so many prayers are not being answered merely because there are multiple sides praying against the other that the best solution is not to advance one agenda over another until unity of thought prevails?

I recognize that this is not what some of you have been told and taught over a lifetime of indoctrination. Consider the past is just like water under the bridge. You are never going to collect all of it again exactly where you crossed and then purify it. Move on within a new thought, a changed mind, a truth that leads your way in a kingdom you are already a part of. I’m not going to tell you it will be easy because your embedded thoughts are conditioned to act as triggers when a new paradigm arises. Taking an old, conditioned thought captive is arduous if you have never known anything different. This is why Paul reveals that we have the mind of Christ. It is a mind which is all-knowing, all-powerful, and always present. All means all. You decide what this means if you have the mind to do so. Herein lies the way to the Father, the fount of all life. It is not as inconceivable as you might think.