I think that it was fitting that I began this series with a post about do-it-yourself-mysticism because it implies that we jointly and severally, are able to receive creative ways to look at things from the source, the mind at large…i.e., the spiritual eternal oneness. In the past, and especially within Judeo Christian tradition, this has been referred to as revelation. It is a connection with something outside ones self that brings clarity of thought and purpose to the story. It allows the story to be reframed and retooled to be a benefit to a specific situation or occasion. Thus, the scripture as we Christians know it, was as Luther stated, occasional. While I am not trying to be bold and say that I think that I or anyone else is writing scripture, I would argue that the Apostle Paul et. al., did not think that they were writing scripture either…although there is an obscure passage in 2Peter that suggests that they were but, that is more than likely a reflective comment made by some well meaning editor many years distant from Peter.
I want to get back to the point at hand but the previous digression was/is important for framing the ideas to be set forth. The word atonement is rich, perhaps smothered in connotation from the “old story.” It shall be my purpose in this series of posts to create a bridge between Christianity and its view of “a new earth” and Eckhart Tolle’s. Hopefully there will be a connection or a synthesis that will allow a meaningful dialogue of interested parties and so, I hope for a rich reaction, interaction that is made possible so readily in the social media setting. In other words, I think that atonement is an important part of one’s relationship with the source, the mind at large, God, The Father. I list all of these because I think that a more inclusive way of story telling is absolutely critical to synthesis. It will allow diverse belief systems to dialogue and perhaps find common ground that is the experience of all people and will lead toward a “new world” new earth kind of thinking.
Atonement….at-one-ment, being one with the source, God, is “the” necessary ingredient for a personal relationship with deity. In fact, I would argue that it is impossible to have a relationship of any kind with the source without this at-one-ment. It implies a reconciliation between a person and the eternal. In traditional Christian doctrine, the atonement, is the remedy for the fall. I would like to try to create a word at this point and label the fall as the atmanyment, (at-many-ment.) It is the birth of the ego which separates one from the source. Any of you who are students of Tolle recognize this quite readily. In reality the fall is aloneness awareness.
Now in Christian thought, Jesus of Nazareth is the source of at-one-ment. He is the reconciler, that bridges the aloneness and brings one into the realized awareness of being atoned, at one with God. I am going to divide this into digestible chunks as I go along. My first purpose is to demonstrate that there is potential for a common description of how this story can be made a part of our new story for a new world.
Next time, I will begin to look at the historical view of atonement, how it formed the old story and will try to weave ways in which we can see it as a fresh story that will help our spiritual development. I have already run over on this one…I try to keep my posts at the 500 word essay limit. Don’t forget to keep watching the other blogs in this project. KedgeForward, Zoecarnate, Transmillenial Blog and, The Sensual Jesus.
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