The Promise & Peril of Transformation

Did you ever wonder why Jesus willingly entered Jerusalem knowing what awaited him there?  I mean after the Palms, high fives, and Hosannas celebration, Jerusalem became a nightmare for Jesus.  Just what was he thinking? Now we know according to traditional Christian doctrine, Jesus passed through those gates with informed consent to bodily sacrifice, undertaken willingly to save humanity from the consequences of its sinful ways. According to this interpretation, Jesus death is seen as no less than the supreme purpose of his life. In Unity, we look at the same circumstances through a different lens of understanding and come up with a remarkably different interpretation.  We believe that the supreme purpose of Jesus' life was to realize and demonstrate a transformative relationship with God.   His success in overcoming the limitations of a mind/body identification and full realization of his oneness with God made Jesus the profound example of what's possible for humanity. Jesus had obviously made great progress in overcoming the illusions of mind/body identification when he entered Jerusalem on this fateful week, yet the grandest lesson of all awaited him there. Most of us could not imagine a more gut wrenching faith-destroying scenario, than abandonment and betrayal by friends, and bodily torture and crucifixion.  Was Jesus tempted to back away from this dreadful fate?  Yes, we know he doubted his mission in the Garden by his passionate plea that the cup of his fate be taken from him. However, Jesus ultimately knew that a complete realization of his spiritual essence would need to stand up to all tests.  If love were the greatest power in the universe, it would not fail him even through this horrendous ordeal.  It was only in going through the most convincing illusion of separation from life and love, that Jesus could establish for himself (and all of us) that Life and Love are eternal truths, not vagaries of human life. Stripped of the last vestiges of his ego, Jesus  was able to emerge from the tomb of darkness, and bear witness to the Light of truth that nothing can extinguish nor diminish. He fulfilled his supreme purpose and was transformed by his difficult journey. Perhaps you are facing the prospects of a difficult journey right now in your life.  You may feel trepidation as you contemplate the risks of what lies ahead. You may be tempted to back off and take a safer course.  I invite you to ask yourself this question before deciding how to proceed:  What is my supreme purpose in this life?  What is infinite Love and Life seeking to express through my life right now? From that deeper sense of self, you may find guidance and strength to take a truer course.  I have not always walked courageously into risky situations. Sometimes I saved my skin, and abandoned my spirit. During those times when I did muster the courage to face the dragons of uncertainty and fear I was often rewarded to discover something much greater and truer in me. This is the promise and peril of the spiritual life. When we are committed to a journey of transformation, when our desire to know Spirit intimately, as an indwelling presence that never leaves us, we are drawn through the refining fire of circumstances.  This can be painful as the narrow gate of truth strips away our entrenched but false beliefs of who we think we are that our true self might emerge on the other side of change. The gates of transformation are wide open for you. Go ahead and enter, trembling if you must, knowing God goes with you.