doctrine

Universal (Personal) Jesus

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 4 Comments

As we are approaching Easter, thoughts of Jesus are running through my head. Who was Jesus? Who IS Jesus? Was Jesus real? Was he made up? Is he “Savior?” and if so, for whom? These are the questions that get batted around in theological circles. People have gone to war over these questions. People have been killed for answering these questions “incorrectly.” And yet, after 2000+ years, there is no conclusive answer to these questions – except those which men have created into dogma. But who’s to say any of that is even true?

To me, none of this matters. Whether Jesus was or wasn’t, lived or died, was crucified died and rose again, or is planning to return has zero impact on my faith. Why? Because faith transcends belief while defying logic.

As I am equally romantic and pragmatic, I can allow all answers to be true. I can also allow for them to be false. Because, at the end of the day, we have very little verifiable, scientific evidence to prove any of it. Instead, all we really have is faith. Not what others have told us to believe. Instead, what do we personally believe about Jesus? What have/has been our own personal experiences of Jesus (if any)?

For me, the answer to this question begins with scripture – both canonical and non-canonical. Whereas scripture has been traditionally contained within the doctrinal jurisdiction of religion, my experience is that scripture transcends religion. As an historical work, containing the pseudo-history of a people, scripture provides a narrative within a specific context. Scripture is worthy of study simply for this purpose. Understanding who wrote the different books of the bible, when they were written, their audience, the genre utilized, and the purpose of the author’s writings gives us insight into the tribal, theological, and religious/liturgical evolution of a people. Approached through a pseudo-scientific lens, scripture provides much insight into the Hebrew people who later named themselves Israelites, and into the experiences of the people within that tribe who later called Jesus their teacher and how his presence altered the trajectory of their lives. All of this is worthy of studying.

If we want to know who Jesus is for us personally, however, we have to move beyond the simple reading of scripture. Neither, can we know Jesus simply by what someone else has told us, regardless of who that someone might be. For me, this personal Jesus came through dedicated attention to the methods of prayer, contemplation, and discernment favored by St. Ignatius of Loyola. These approaches to prayer allow for direct communication between Source (God) and ourselves. Through this prayer, what I have uncovered (as have many others before me) is the possibility of a Universal Jesus – one who speaks Truth to all people regardless of their religion, or personal beliefs.

One does not have to proclaim Jesus Christ their personal Lord and Savior
to receive the benefits of his teachings.

To say otherwise, is proclaiming oneself as higher than God. Who are we to declare that God has ONE chosen people or to suggest there is but one path to being saved? Salvation, I have learned, is simply a matter of perspective – have we found a way to equanimity in the midst of the human condition or have we damned ourselves to suffering?

Beyond anything else, Jesus teaches us how to find peace, contentment, and even joy in the midst of the challenges and difficulties of being human. Whether heaven is here on earth, or on some other plane, is up to us to decide. Jesus shows us how to choose the former. Even if we hope for paradise on the other side of this life, Jesus’ deepest message is how to find paradise here. You will not find these teachings in any church’s doctrine. They can only be found within.

To me, the Universal Jesus is one that came to understand the message of LOVE at the heart of the Judaism in which he was raised. He came to understand the highest Truth taught – that all of creation is an expression of this Love/God and that we are all ONE with this Love. Jesus learned how to remember and embody this Love. He then sought to teach others how to do the same:

The Love (kingdom) of God is within you.

His message is truly this simple. YOU ARE LOVE. Remembering this Truth helps us to find peace.  Right here.  Right now.  (And maybe even more completely when we fully return to Source after we have finished this life).

Is the Bible Even Relevant?

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

My short answer to this inquiry is no, and yes. The no is quite simple. The yes a little more complicated.

First the Nos

  • Scripture is no longer relevant (if it ever was) as a tool of manipulation or to exert power or control over another. In fact, in either form, scripture is not only dangerous, but can become a weapon (as we have witnessed throughout history – even recent history) when in the hands of the wrong person(s).
  • Scripture is not a book of science. Neither is it a book of history as we understand that today.
  • The Bible is not a book of civil law.  Neither is it a guide for upholding nor enforcing law.
  • The Bible is not a manual for gender or relationship ideals or norms.  Only the ill-informed would approach it in that way.

There are likely more no’s but we’ll let these suffice for now.

Now For the Yeses

  • Yes, scripture is relevant as a collection of literature gathered over a period of time related to a specific tribe of people with their own beliefs, cultural practices, and history.
  • Yes, scripture is relevant as a collection of literary genres, gathered over centuries from the oral traditions of a specific tribe of people living in a specific geographic location within history.  None of these writings were meant to be taken as literal and include – myth, poetry, songs, reflective pseudo-history (some things actually happened), tribal laws, erotica, liturgy, letters, and apocalyptic writings and gospels (genres unto themselves).
  • Yes, scripture is relevant as a field of scholarship, especially when said-scholarship contains and includes both canonical (those writings that reflected the dogma of an already established institution), and non-canonical (those that did not).
  • Yes, scripture is relevant as a field of study when one considers historical and cultural context, the literary genre in use, the author, and their audience.
  • Yes, scripture is relevant when examining the theological evolution of a specific tribe of people.
  • Yes, scripture is relevant in studying the reflections of a specific group within that tribe who believed they had found their messiah and the way in which this belief informed their relationship with their tribe and how they attempted to make their way beyond their tribe.

Finally, and this yes is my favorite and THE reason why I consult scripture everyday as part of my daily practice, and why I have included scripture as part of many of my training programs:

Once we pierce through the doctrine and the patriarchy’s fear-based presentation of scripture, it becomes a profoundly relevant tool through which we can access our own inner truth, tune into the voice of our own inner authority, find guidance, healing, knowledge, understanding, wisdom and comfort for our daily lives – all of which help us to remember that we are Love.

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