Unwrapping the Gift of Love

A Guru asked his disciples how they could tell when the night had ended and the day begun.

One said, "When you see an animal in the distance and can tell whether it is a cow or a horse."

"No," said the Guru.

"When you look at a tree in the distance and can tell if it is a neem tree or a mango tree."

"Wrong again," said the Guru.

"Well, then, what is it?" asked his disciples.

"When you look into the face of any man and recognize your brother in him; when you look into the face of any woman and recognize in her your sister. If you cannot do this, no matter what time it is by the sun it is still night."

(Taking Flight, by Anthony de Mello)

The birth of Jesus of Nazareth took place in a dark time in the history of the Jewish people. When he arrived on the scene, there was a heightened expectation of a messiah who would come and save the day; one who would grow up to become a just and mighty ruler that would overthrow the oppressive Roman occupation. Jesus was seen as the light that would dispel the darkness; the precursor to the coming of the kingdom.

We live in a dark time, with many oppressed by the circumstances of these times. People are looking expectantly to better times; for something or someone to save the day. Many thought our current president would be that light to cast out the dark scenarios. Even though the slogan was Yes We Can, Not Yes I Can we leaned into the hope that one man could make a difference in our world and restore order and prosperity to our world.

Jesus met the expectations of his time with a radical reversal that turned the prevailing understanding of leadership upside down and inside out. Jesus did not fit the mold of a king that ruled with a sword that would smite its enemy. He proclaimed that his kingdom was not of the earth, nor a heavenly place or a better future. He pointed to an inner kingdom, a heavenly domain in consciousness. He was aware of the light within him and it shone brightly, unfettered by guile, or fear, or outer ambition. He also saw that light in all people, friend or foe, as the "light that enlightens every man and woman who enters the world." This inner illumination allowed him to rule with a sword of love which he unflinchingly wielded no matter what came at him. He was defenseless in the face of his enemies; unwavering in forgiveness as his only response to perceived wrongs.

Such a radical love seemed foolhardy and unattainable when Jesus walked this talk on earth. Two millennia of evolution still leave us struggling with the notion that such a love is possible for mere mortals like us. But Jesus never intended for us to achieve this exalted state of consciousness capable of unconditional love alone. When questioned by Nicodemus, Jesus told him that he must be born again, born from above. And so must we. We, of our little selves, cannot see the light in our brothers and sisters who we call enemy. This calls for a holy perception. Only when we can make room for the Spirit to correct our vision and show us the inherent innocence of every person will we behold their light. This is immaculate perception, in which we like Mother Mary, allow the Holy Spirit to come upon us, let it have its way in our hearts, that we may birth Christ vision for all our brothers and sisters. This is the holy rebirth available to us in every moment and the way we bring light to our world.