Most of my time on social media is spent exploring comments and trying to understand some of the weird ideas shaping our big space-floating blue planet. Though I have fewer Twitter followers than there are living on Pitcairn Island, I do occasionally enjoy sharing a few thoughts. I even try to keep my cool when I see some bizarre beliefs.
Followers of Jesus certainly have varying opinions and beliefs about certain topics. But there is one which is quite alarming: the Spirit of God.
If a non-Christian can accept such a world, why can’t a Christian who has been promised this gift of the Spirit not live in such a world described by Jesus?
The spiritual realm is the foundation of Jesus' teachings. It is the invisible world of the Spirit, an enormous, profound, and timeless “universe” impossible to even begin describing. One verse sent my perception of the Spirit's existence and work spiraling into an expanse deeper than the physical cosmos and all its beauty.
“But I’m speaking The Truth unto you, that it is better for you that I go, for, if I don’t go, The Pharaqlitha {The Advocate/The Helper} will not come unto you. But, if I go, I will send Him to you.” – John 16:7 (Aramaic scriptures)
For years I’ve missed the importance of Jesus’ statement. ‘...it is better for you that I go, for, if I don’t go, the Advocate/The Helper, will not come unto you.” Jesus is emphasizing the importance of him leaving and introducing his followers to the crucial element of the Christian life, the Spirit. I find it somewhat strange that Jesus, who healed the sick, taught words of life, and was even raised from the dead himself would tell his followers that it would be better that he should leave. Wouldn’t it make more sense to stick around? After all, who is better than Christ living on earth? Well, it appears the Spirit is.
This opens a door to something new and quite mysterious. In fact, very mysterious and infinite. If Jesus should go and give us a Spirit, then what does this spirit do, say, believe, teach, prompt, and unveil? The answer is simple; The Spirit guides us through an infinite universe filled with unseen peace, joy, and experiences.
One would think followers of Jesus would embrace, cherish, and grow this gift. Unfortunately, most do not. It is the saddest rejection of the promise of life and the growth of the eternal life-giving spring within us. Christians, at least in the West, seem to have pushed this idea of a spiritual realm into a dark corner. Perhaps it’s the fear of embracing something which might be seen as New Age or Eastern spirituality. Worse yet, is the possibility that simply saying “Jesus is Lord” is all that is needed for being a disciple of Jesus. Anything else would be a “work.” Whatever the reason, the Spirit has been “killed off” by many Christians and even pastors.
I’ve traveled extensively through the East including India, Bhutan, Myanmar, and a host of other countries immersed in Hinduism and Buddhism. I certainly do not agree with their religious beliefs. However, I do admire their acceptance and lack of fear of delving into a spiritual world. The Hindu shopkeeper, tuk-tuk driver, and craftsman all understand their physical world is enveloped in a spiritually unseen world.
Many Hindus and Buddhists, in my experience, are willing to discuss the spiritual realm and even consider the idea Jesus is the center of that invisible universe. Ironically, the hostility I see (and experience) when talking to a Christian about such concepts is shocking. Not only is the idea of an unseen spiritual world anathema, but the focus of the Christian life on the development of spiritual fruit is also often downright rejected. If a non-Christian can accept such a world, then why can’t a Christian who has been promised this gift of the Spirit not live in such a world described by Jesus?
If Jesus offers us the Spirit, shouldn’t we trust him to give us the avenue to experience and live in this Spirit? A good father doesn’t give stones to those wanting bread or snakes to those hungry for fish.
Jesus told Nicodemus it is impossible for a person not born of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. This isn’t just a promise for the great “hereafter” but for this very moment in life. The kingdom of God is a spiritual world; one that disciples should embrace even to the point of death. We don’t have to understand it: We simply must be willing to let the Spirit guides us into it and through it. If not, we can’t enter, much less, understand the invisible realm.
As Christians, we can disagree on many things. But the one crucial element in the Christian life is the teaching and belief of the Spirit of God. It is what gives us life and prepares us for our home after the grave.
(Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/grayscale-photo-of-concrete-building-276092/)
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