I Once Believed: Re-Framing a Traditional Christian Past Part 3

SSUC Spiritual Seekers United in Community

Even though the Christian church turned a common cultural practice of ritual washing into an exercise in “sin management”, there are still remnants of something else, something simpler. There is still a hint of the first century teacher and his followers who had something completely different to say about this experience. This is from the community of Mark who shared and wrote these words: In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens open and the spirit, as like a dove alighted upon him. And he heard a message: “You are my son, beloved; a source of pride and pleasure.” (Mark 1: 9-11) This baptism contains no negative talk, no self-loathing. There is no derision for being less than, or a call to be washed of what came before. As Jesus comes out of the water, he experiences a vision – a positively delightful vision – of affirmation, of acceptance. The whole event is an allegory for what it means to be human. To be fully alive, to be fully spirited, each of us declared to be a child of god or ‘child of the universe’ as we would reframe it, beloved by the very fact of our living. Instead of pejorative, soul-killing labels of unworthiness the church was to devise and that many of us need to un-learn, this story is a metaphor that has miraculously survived the power and patriarchy to speak loud and clear that there is pleasure and pride in each of our wondrous lives. Imagine how differently millions upon millions would have felt and would now feel and behave if they were told from the very beginning: “You are much loved, you are spirit-infused, you bring pride and pleasure to the world. To create loving people, we need to have children who are told of their true nature and potential – and then are truly loved. To begin healing for ourselves, WE ALL need to hear these words also. Listen: Your nature and potential is love, is beauty, is brimming with an amazing spirit, and you bring pride and pleasure to the world. May the source of love be your strength. May the love we learn from each other be your guide. May the spirit of love in which we’re immersed be your wisdom. Welcome beloved. www.ssucedmonton.com