OUR ‘DIVINE’ / ‘HUMAN’ DILEMMA
You won’t believe “IT”: this is the 3rd article – in a series of blogs – focusing on ‘WHERE’. Note: that big “IT” was supposed to be a small ‘it’, but I could not resist giving you more to reflect on, as per its ‘attention grabbing status’ in other ponderings. Anyway, we’re here, again, going deeper into our ‘divine’ / ‘human’ conflict.
So, life is all ‘contingency’ (i.e. ‘chance’ events that ‘may’ or ‘may not’ happen). Our human nature is subject to ‘conditioning’ – particularly in childhood – & we seem to ‘end up’ (‘upside down’) all ‘confused’. That seems to be the story of our lives (what we might identify as the three ‘cons’ in life, which we don’t like).
To come to grips with our difficulty I am going to ‘tie all these together’ within the meaning of the CROSS. Here is ‘WHERE’ our ‘divine’ / ‘human’ separation / disconnect is brought into reconciliation ::: every problem is an opportunity ‘FOR GOD’ (an article ‘back a bit’) ::: “my yoke is easy, my burden light” ‘FOR YOU’ (Matthew 11:30) ::: ‘YOU RESTORE’ our life, so, ‘WE REJOICE’ in You (as per Psalm 85:6 & Incarnation/Trinity in ‘Battered Image’ / ‘Sure Hope’ article) . Now – in the light of these ‘revelations’ – if we ‘choose’ the ‘way’ of the CROSS we become ‘enabled’ (see: CCC 521) to live as an ‘other’ Christ (in ‘Affirm / Bless / Celebrate’ mode).
Let’s look at basics ::: ‘you’re a spirit being, living in eternity’ ::: ‘so, you are part of God & God is all of you’ (as the wave is part of the sea & the sea is all of the wave) ::: enter ‘humanity’ (subject to three births: ‘Single / Social / Spiritual’). In this setting: ‘we are not human beings having a spiritual experience’ / ‘we are spiritual beings having a human experience’. The mystery of life is revealed within the realms of ‘child-like’ PLAY (Perfect Love Answers Yes) & PRAY (Perfect Relationality Answers Yes) ::: hence, our (personal) ‘test’ is our (unique) ‘task’ to “live life to the full” (John 10:10).
In a world of ‘contingency / conditioning / confusion’ ::: we come to ‘recognise we are LOST’. Our ‘natural instinct’ is to respond in terms of: ‘self survival’ action / seek to CONTROL our ‘vulnerable human condition’. And – human nature being what it is (i.e. ‘Fallen’) – we automatically (in ‘default’ mode) try to ‘WARD’ off ‘all & sundry’ (i.e. ‘Wage Antagonistic Relational Defiance’). That’s ‘bad’ news.
We tend to forget – consequently – we need to remember: we are not our own ‘self’ ::: enter ‘divinity’ (we are ‘really & truly’ children (image & likeness) of a Trinitarian God, who loves us unconditionally ::: ‘so much so’ that the ‘Father, Son & Holy Spirit’ come continuously to our aid ::: with Jesus the Christ admonishing us: “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39) / reverse ‘WARD’ (off) negativity with ‘DRAW’ (out) positivity (i.e. ‘Die (to ‘self’) Recognize Acknowledge Welcome) ::: and, come to ‘realise we are FOUND’. That’s ‘good’ news.
Clearly, in all this, we need to ‘GRASP’ the ‘centrality’ of the CROSS ::: it’s the one & only ‘assured-base’ remedy for our human condition (‘sinners who sin’) ::: the ‘CROSS’ not only shuts down ‘pain / shame’ but opens up ‘new life in the spirit’ ::: Jesus the Christ really & truly ‘modeled’ the role of the ‘CROSS’ in human life & undertook His ‘passion & death’ on the ‘CROSS’ on our behalf ::: “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
There is only one PROBLEM in life: ‘DISCONNECT’ (i.e. separation) & there is only one SOLUTION in life: ‘RESTORATION’ (i.e. connectivity) ::: you ‘die’ to ‘self’ & you ‘rise’ to ‘new’ life. The ‘CROSS’ integrates our ‘horizontal mode of life’ (human) with our ‘vertical mode of life’ ( divine) ::: ‘heads are healed’ / ‘hearts are warmed’ / ‘hands are joined’ ::: ‘misery’ turns to ‘joy’ (alleluia).
In summary: (3×33) ::: ‘your life : mirror mirror : image likeness’ ::: ‘we each have in ‘our default mode’ old life’ ::: ‘we each have in ‘Jesus the Christ’ new life’.