Saying 31
Jesus said: No prophet is accepted in his own village. No physician heals the people who know him well.
My "own village" is comprised of those who I've known and have known me since physical birth. That identity is so strong that spiritual re-birth is invalidated; "Isn't this Jesus of Nazareth?" - what that question implies is that "I KNOW this man." As a stiff-necked, closed-minded small town person, no one is going to bamboozle me into thinking this person is beyond what I know.
One of the beauties of 12-Step meetings is that we are removed from the context of the outside world. For example, when there is a celebrity in the room, the group makes an effort to disregard that status and allow that person to be "a drunk among drunks." This means that many of us can hear truth from someone living on Park Avenue or on a park bench and be heard by those same individuals. "Thank you for sharing..... it helped me to see something." That "something" is the TRUTH of what God wants me to hear, learn, see. In that moment, the speaker is a prophet for me, sent to get past my conscious mind to my unconscious, to heal, to communicate God's message at a depth beyond my ego's fruitless effort to heal itself.
Another thing: to survive and break free from self-centeredness, from alcoholism or any addiction, I have to be desperate enough to hear and tell the truth. I have really noticed that's not easy to do with family, neighbors... much easier to do with strangers. That's why making amends to those I have harmed is after steps one through eight.
Jesus said: No prophet is accepted in his own village. No physician heals the people who know him well.
My "own village" is comprised of those who I've known and have known me since physical birth. That identity is so strong that spiritual re-birth is invalidated; "Isn't this Jesus of Nazareth?" - what that question implies is that "I KNOW this man." As a stiff-necked, closed-minded small town person, no one is going to bamboozle me into thinking this person is beyond what I know.
One of the beauties of 12-Step meetings is that we are removed from the context of the outside world. For example, when there is a celebrity in the room, the group makes an effort to disregard that status and allow that person to be "a drunk among drunks." This means that many of us can hear truth from someone living on Park Avenue or on a park bench and be heard by those same individuals. "Thank you for sharing..... it helped me to see something." That "something" is the TRUTH of what God wants me to hear, learn, see. In that moment, the speaker is a prophet for me, sent to get past my conscious mind to my unconscious, to heal, to communicate God's message at a depth beyond my ego's fruitless effort to heal itself.
Another thing: to survive and break free from self-centeredness, from alcoholism or any addiction, I have to be desperate enough to hear and tell the truth. I have really noticed that's not easy to do with family, neighbors... much easier to do with strangers. That's why making amends to those I have harmed is after steps one through eight.
"Saying 32
Jesus said: A city built and fortified atop a tall hill cannot be taken, nor can it be hidden.
"The city" is in plain view, exposed on top of a hill. The fortification has made it strong whether it belongs to the good, the comfortable, or the obviously bad. A frontal attack is never going to work because the defense provided by nature and by craft is too strong.
Jesus may be saying, "see the truth of the fortification and prepare accordingly."
"Be therefore wise as serpents, gentle as doves." The most impenetrable ego, even if resolutely sedated by a false belief in its own goodness, is somehow accessible to God, who can move a mountain. "The whisper" is effective where the "whirlwind" fails. Jesus' death broke the curtain in two, gave access to all, released the Power from the ungodly fortress of the exclusive, forbidding, stifling, oppressive temple.
On the other hand, Jesus may be saying, "In the City built on the hill you will never be taken. The glow of the city is unmistakable. The "City" suggests an essential unit comprised of many. We are strong together, weak alone. A circle is defined as the infinite set of points equidistant from a central point. Be IN the City. Be a point on the circle. Be part of the whole, one among many united to make something that speaks unmistakably to the truth of God's "Power, Love, and Way of Life." The pack is stronger than the lone wolf. I have been such a lone wolf for so much of my life! My ego was so attached to my uniqueness! The paradox is that in God's City, we are unique and an almost anonymous part of the whole at the very same time.
Jesus said: A city built and fortified atop a tall hill cannot be taken, nor can it be hidden.
"The city" is in plain view, exposed on top of a hill. The fortification has made it strong whether it belongs to the good, the comfortable, or the obviously bad. A frontal attack is never going to work because the defense provided by nature and by craft is too strong.
Jesus may be saying, "see the truth of the fortification and prepare accordingly."
"Be therefore wise as serpents, gentle as doves." The most impenetrable ego, even if resolutely sedated by a false belief in its own goodness, is somehow accessible to God, who can move a mountain. "The whisper" is effective where the "whirlwind" fails. Jesus' death broke the curtain in two, gave access to all, released the Power from the ungodly fortress of the exclusive, forbidding, stifling, oppressive temple.
On the other hand, Jesus may be saying, "In the City built on the hill you will never be taken. The glow of the city is unmistakable. The "City" suggests an essential unit comprised of many. We are strong together, weak alone. A circle is defined as the infinite set of points equidistant from a central point. Be IN the City. Be a point on the circle. Be part of the whole, one among many united to make something that speaks unmistakably to the truth of God's "Power, Love, and Way of Life." The pack is stronger than the lone wolf. I have been such a lone wolf for so much of my life! My ego was so attached to my uniqueness! The paradox is that in God's City, we are unique and an almost anonymous part of the whole at the very same time.
Saying 33
Jesus said: What you hear in your ears preach from your housetops.
For nobody lights a lamp and puts it underneath a bushel basket or in a hidden place. Rather it is placed on a lamp stand so that all who go in and out may see the light.
I hear truth "in my ears;" Being "one who hears" mandates a new identity, that of a preacher. A preacher isn't someone who rams unwanted Bible verses into your resistant, sleepy Sunday-morning skull. To preach is to bear witness to the truth that has enlightened. We are ALL preachers when we share truth. Marvelous things happen when I don't shut myself or others down! God moves.
"Perform God's work well." Take others through the steps once a spiritual awakening has happened. God willing, I WANT to! The process is not to be coveted or selfishly used for personal power but rather to light a fire, to enlighten others, to keep ourselves lit, to keep energy moving for good, for God, for everlasting love, for eternity. I can choke on my own gratitude or just keep letting the light shine.
This Little Light Of Mine,
I'm gonna let it shine,
This Little Light Of Mine,
I'm gonna let it shine,
This Little Light Of Mine,
Yes, I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
How else do you express truth? How else does God need you to let your light shine? in sculpture, poems, equations, explorations, entrepreneurship, simple kindness at the check out counter? The truth might be something experiential, emotional, intellectual, artistic, mathematical, scientific, spiritual, physical, technological, robotic, mental... It's truth that brings us into relationship with God, with one another, and with ourselves.There is not one "right" forum, one path that is more Godly than the other.... but always always, prioritize sharing the process of the Steps because it is that process that keeps all the rest on the right track.
Jesus said: What you hear in your ears preach from your housetops.
For nobody lights a lamp and puts it underneath a bushel basket or in a hidden place. Rather it is placed on a lamp stand so that all who go in and out may see the light.
I hear truth "in my ears;" Being "one who hears" mandates a new identity, that of a preacher. A preacher isn't someone who rams unwanted Bible verses into your resistant, sleepy Sunday-morning skull. To preach is to bear witness to the truth that has enlightened. We are ALL preachers when we share truth. Marvelous things happen when I don't shut myself or others down! God moves.
"Perform God's work well." Take others through the steps once a spiritual awakening has happened. God willing, I WANT to! The process is not to be coveted or selfishly used for personal power but rather to light a fire, to enlighten others, to keep ourselves lit, to keep energy moving for good, for God, for everlasting love, for eternity. I can choke on my own gratitude or just keep letting the light shine.
This Little Light Of Mine,
I'm gonna let it shine,
This Little Light Of Mine,
I'm gonna let it shine,
This Little Light Of Mine,
Yes, I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
How else do you express truth? How else does God need you to let your light shine? in sculpture, poems, equations, explorations, entrepreneurship, simple kindness at the check out counter? The truth might be something experiential, emotional, intellectual, artistic, mathematical, scientific, spiritual, physical, technological, robotic, mental... It's truth that brings us into relationship with God, with one another, and with ourselves.There is not one "right" forum, one path that is more Godly than the other.... but always always, prioritize sharing the process of the Steps because it is that process that keeps all the rest on the right track.