UNITY CHURCH UNIVERSAL913 Tracy Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64106
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In the midst of a challenge, do we remember these words of Jesus and affirm the presence of God, knowing that there is no situation or condition that has more power over us than the presence and power of God within us? Or do we react as a victim and ask, "Why me?" Do we look for someone or something to blame as did the disciples concerning the man born blind? The human tendency is to look for a physical cause in the realm of effects rather than to the One Cause. Jesus, however, replies from a spiritual perspective, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him." —John 9:1-3. Looking at challenge from a limited human perspective, we see it as an obstacle and, through fear and resistance, give it power to delay or block our Good. Yet, if we see every challenge as an invitation to go within, draw on more of our spiritual resources of faith, strength, wisdom and love, then we can more easily embrace it as an opportunity to become a more perfect instrument for God’s expression. Everything that happens to us can be an opportunity to awaken our highest spiritual potential by shifting our perception from the "problem" of the outer situation to how we will meet that situation with faith and grow through it. Incarnation on the earth is fraught with challenges, and divine intelligence within orchestrates circumstances to bring out whatever qualities we need to meet challenges with increasing faith. That is the result of the desire of Infinite, unbounded Intelligence to express fully through human form. When we incarnate we forget that we are spiritual beings, and so we attract experiences that will help us fully awaken to the Truth of our being. Complaining is a common reaction to challenge. Think of the Exodus and the 40 years of complaining on the part of the Israelites. Not only do they quickly forget about their liberation from Egypt and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, but they blame Moses for having brought them out of bondage. Moses, as God’s representative in the wilderness, comes through for them every time, yet with each new challenge they forget about the previous deliverance. On a spiritual journey, challenges can be so overwhelming to us while they are happening that we, too, have momentary crises of faith. Then there is the story of Job who is severely challenged in all areas of his life. His friends, representing the various human voices, tell him that he must have sinned and is being punished by God. They urge him to repent and reform. Job complains against God and tries to justify himself in the face of his friends’ accusations. Elihu, however, tells Job that God "delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear by adversity." It is futile to ask why, to complain, or to try to figure out divine ways with human logic. It is only necessary to meet each challenge with faith in God’s presence, confidence that God’s will is for our highest Good, and assurance that there is a blessing coming out of the challenge. In the end, Job has a direct experience of God’s presence in which he grows in faith, humility and understanding. Everything was restored to him, twice as much as he had before. Why was Jesus crucified? Some blame Judas for betraying him. In Dante’s Inferno, Judas was relegated to the lowest rung in hell. For many Christians today, Judas is a villain comparable to Hitler. Some Christians hate Jews because of "what they did to Jesus." Others say that Jesus was crucified because he broke all social conventions by fraternizing with the outcastes of society; or that he healed on the Sabbath; or that he threatened the Pax Romana. Still others blame it on the ambivalence of Pontius Pilate, or even the fickle collective consciousness of the masses. What all these supposed causes have in common is that they are perceived as having come from outside. There is no doubt that Jesus, who brought back Lazarus from the dead, could have avoided the crucifixion and been remembered as a minor prophet, or established a political kingdom and merited a few paragraphs in a history book. The Truth is that without the crucifixion, there would have been no resurrection. In choosing the crucifixion, Jesus fulfilled his life purpose and set the standard of spiritual development for all generations to come. What was crucified was the false perception of human limitation and what was resurrected was unlimited possibilities for all who believe. He could not have been a victim of circumstance because he made the choice to follow Spirit rather than the human instinct to survive. Jesus did not complain or blame or say, "why me?" Like Joseph, Jesus could have said that while some meant it for evil, God meant it for good. We in Unity look to the teachings of Jesus Christ as our practical guide for daily life. Jesus not only gave us a vision of possibilities for living a spiritual life on earth, but the spiritual tools with which to do it, and the example of his life for inspiration and support in the overcoming of all challenges.
Copyright 2004, Eleanor Fleming
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