Day Thirty-seven

The chief concern of the Christ is connection. It may be argued that it should be salvation, but the case has been made in this series for the complete and full relationship with the Other to be the most effective means of salvation. The example of Jesus as the Christ is one of unbroken relationship with his Abba, of perfect communion with God. What some find inspiring while others find it disturbing is Jesus’ invitation to join with him in the relationship, apparently without condition or qualification. This is a direct affront to organized religion—whether it was then or now—because control over who gets to be saved and who doesn’t is the kind of power that institutions strenuously covet. Jesus upset the status quo by preaching that anyone can achieve the connection without the requirement of mediation.

If, then, I choose to follow the way of the Christ my chief concern also becomes connection. But not just for myself. With emphasis upon the interconnectedness of the Whole it becomes important that my neighbor also be connected. Like the old fashioned strings of Christmas lights which required all the bulbs to be burning because one being out would cause the whole string to go out, so it is with human connectedness. I may experience some degree of partial relationship with God, but the completeness of the connection is lessened if you, too, are not experiencing the relationship. The more people who consciously experience the relationship the stronger the connection; and this in turn is amplified by the reciprocity of God more fully experiencing the Whole.

What seems to be so incredibly difficult for the human mind to grasp is the utterly volitional nature of choosing to be consciously connected to the Other. From the dawn of time those with some degree of power over others have believed that the connection can somehow be forced or coerced, or that it can be exclusively withheld altogether. For centuries the Church capitalized (and may still) on fear as a means of motivating conformity and obedience, these certainly not to be confused with connectedness. How ironic that such a tactic has been used in the name of the one who repeatedly told his hearers to “fear not!” I cannot force my neighbor to make the connection; I can only by example make it attractive. How powerfully this was understood by the one who said, “Follow me!”