2nd St. Johnstide 2007, Word of Flame

John 1: 29-34

Carracia

The next day he [John] sees Jesus coming to him, and says, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes upon himself the burden of the sin of the world. He it is of whom I said: ‘After me comes one who was before me, for he is greater than I  [for he is ahead of me].’ [After me comes one who was (generated) before me, for he is the prototype.] Even I did not know him; but for this I have come, and have baptized with water, so that human souls in Israel might become able to experience the revelation of his being.”

And John testified: “I saw how the Spirit descended upon him as a dove from the heavens and remained united with him. I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend, so that it remains united with him, he it is who baptizes with the [breath of the] Holy [Healing] Spirit [and with fire].’ And I saw this, and so I testify that this is God’s Son.”

2^nd St. Johnstide

July 1, 2007

John 1: 29-34

In the very broadest sense, sin, wrongdoing, errors and failures are deviations from the overall plan that the divine world has for us, and for all of mankind. Through wrongdoing we have become separated from God and His angels. We have walled ourselves off from the flow of the meaning, the love, the goodness that unites all creatures in their ongoing evolving. This is painful both for the divine world and for us.

Paschal Lamb, Ghent Altar

Christ, the World Physician, came to heal the sickness and pain that arises from our having separated ourselves. John describes Christ as the Lamb who takes upon Himself the burden of the wrongdoing of Mankind. The Lamb does not, cannot take away the consequences of our misdeeds. The compensation for our wrongdoing is our own task and responsibility.

But Christ carries for us the weight of the burden of our misdeeds. He bears our misdeeds within Himself, sheltering them in forgiveness, so that their future resolution can be dealt with creatively, so that our compensations can serve mankind’s ongoing evolution.  When we recognize and take responsibility for our failings, and when we then take in Christ’s loving acceptance and forgiveness of them, then He sends us His Healing Spirit. His Healing Spirit cleanses the cause of our illness: it purifies us of egotism. The Healing Spirit inspires in us the creative healing of our destiny relationships. It is when we accept both our own responsibility and Christ’s empowering love and healing Spirit that we can see our way forward.

John’s guilt-conscious health-bearing word of flame is: “Change your way of thinking! Change your heart and mind!”  This is the preparation that allows us to hear and respond to Christ’s continually resounding invitation – “Come and see!” John 1:34

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