The Big Picture

Recognizing the Call

By Marcus McGinnis

 

As we start our year of spiritual focus, let us begin by recalling the face in the mirror activity. To all who participated, and if you have not done this you should, this was a simple activity Jay requested we take part in, asking that we gaze at ourselves in a mirror for five minutes. Jay thought it was important for us to get in touch with who we truly are…our inner self. It turned out to be a very profound five minutes and many of us were brought to tears. As Gnostics we believe in a Higher Self and we know it is that Higher Self that connects us to True God.

 

We all experienced something that was revealing. It opened our eyes to what God sees when he looks at us. Many of us felt something powerful, which caused our emotional responses. We talked about the activity and came to realize what that powerful feeling was. Getting a view of the inner self allowed us to see who we are at our core. In seeing our true self, we realized we matter, we are somebody, and are truly loved. Some of us thought we knew this prior to viewing our inner self, but in the aftermath of this activity, we were able to completely grasp what it means to know our own significance.

 

Many of us know or can remember when we had our first eye-opening experience that introduced us to, and allowed us to truly receive God in our lives. It was a transforming moment when we came face to face with our Lord and realized we had a purpose. Let’s be clear, this is not that moment when we may have survived an experience. For example: a moment when we were saved from a serious accident of some kind, the victim of a crime, or present at the time a dangerous crime was taking place. This is that moment that may have occurred before or after these incidences. This is that moment when we heard a voice outside of ourselves that seemed to come from somewhere deep inside, but was all around us.  

 

It is a subtle, calming voice that immediately gave us peace and we knew we were in a special place, if just for a moment. For many of us it occurred at a significant time in our life. It may have spoken to us to warn us of an impending danger. It might have brought comfort from intense heart-break. It might have talked us off the ledge just before we took that fatal plunge. Whatever the situation, it was a moment when God introduced himself to us personally. He, is used in reference to God, but we all know God is not gender specific. The introduction we experienced was similar to the one Moses experienced on Mt Sinai. God knows when it is time. The call does not happen by mistake. When it happens it is not just our imagination. We are actually hearing a voice that forever changes us and sets us on a path that reshapes and reforms our lives.  

 

This voice is so powerful it snatched us out of the jaws of death by warning us just before we, or it, reaches us. We are not talking about instinct or intuition. This is stronger than both those abilities. Instinct may give us a bad feeling about something or someone. Intuition is a little stronger reaction to an impending situation or person. This voice is stronger because it literally addresses a specific situation or person. It is more than a feeling we should not to proceed on a particular path, it is a direct warning. It is a voice that stops and grounds us when we are spiraling out of control at times in our life. This could be a struggle with an addiction problem of some kind.

 

This voice can also call us out of a profession that may be very profitable yet dangerous. For example: football, hockey, boxing, wrestling, and Nascar car racing. These professions are directly harmful to the self. To intentionally harm the self is to disrespect the self and this is not an act of loving the self. This voice can call us out of a bad relationship even when everyone else is telling us to remain, often saying things like “God Hate divorce”. First of all, God and Hate never go together under any circumstances. Second, let’s face it, not all relationships are good relationships nor or they ordained of God. If we are not in God when we make the decision to marry someone the relationship is not ordained of God.

 

We do not often make a decision based on the right reasons when we are not in God, especially when it comes to marriage. Many of us do not even know what it means to love. For example: if we think there is any situation where love hurts we do not know anything about love. If we do not know how to love and value ourselves, we are incapable of loving others. Those of us who know what Love means know Love never hurts. When defining LOVE we are once again directed to 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8. In the Gnostic Faith we understand Love is not an emotion. It is a condition. It is a state of being that invokes emotions, feelings. Emotions do not have attributes. Hate is also a state of being that is contra to Love and True God. It is a condition we will not focus on in our conversations because we serve True God and take the side of Love.

 

Gnostics know God, being Love, means that love is transcendent. It is all around us all the time—even when we do not feel like we are being loved or that we are loved. So, in realizing love is always around us, think about when you first heard the call to separate yourself from the world around you. Think about how difficult it was in the beginning. No one seemed to understand what was happening with or to you. Suddenly you were not fun anymore. You became square, uppity, and boring. Think about how even members of your family were not very accepting of this ‘New You’.

 

If they are church goers, you were probably accused of not practicing the right way. You were trying to change things, a trouble maker. You were not doing things according to the established customs, practices, and/or traditions. As we recall all of this, we now know why we came away. We are Gnostic. We fall into the Mystic form of worship more so than the tradition Christian form of worship. The typical Christian person is convinced they know for certain what it means to be a true believer in God. As Gnostics we have no need to convince ourselves or anyone else that we are true believers. We realize and have no problem acknowledging that we are always growing. Therefore we do not know everything and we never profess to be the only path to God. In fact, we know humans are not the center of life, but are simply a part of the life cycle. We know the mystery many Christians resist and/or refuse to accept.

 

In our studies recall how both Mary Magdalene and Saint Thomas were asked what was said in private conversations they had with our Lord Jesus. They both said if they spoke of it people would not believe them. Why? Well what happens when people speak of it today? To tell Christians there is life on other planets brings about a response that accuses us of not really believing in God. To tell most Christians God does not hate anyone or anything including homosexuals is met with disdain, anger, and confrontation. To tell a Christian there is no devil possessing others is also met with confrontation, and claims that even Jesus specifically referred to Lucifer as this said Devil.

 

This kind of ideology has been a part of the Christian religion for so long Christians are convinced it is gospel. Lucifer is this devil who has absolutely nothing better to do but track every human on Earth for the purpose of trapping, snarling, whisper temptations, or flat out lie to them about proven matters they should be concerned about. It is hard for us Gnostics to fathom such a high creation of God being so stupid. What a boring existence. To believe this contributes to the deterioration of human mentality. It feeds into the depravity that is the real plague of humanity. Typical Christians do not believe we are born in freewill. Their beliefs signify they have no choice thus they are not responsible for anything they do. They have no power over or feel any sole accountability for anything that goes on in their lives. As Gnostics we know this is not the case.

 

To Christians humans are only worthy if they are making outrageous sacrifices and performing rituals to appease God. Why? Because to them humans do not deserve consideration, they do not really matter unless they are members of the clergy, wealthy, and/or in a high ranking political or leadership position, otherwise they are insignificant. They behave as if God is an angry vengeful God that often calls them to war, to prejudice, to discrimination, to controlling domineering behavior, and to violence. They believe none compliance with traditional customs will anger God and bring about severe punishment.

 

They wield their Bibles like weapons judging and condemning each other. We know better than that. We know first of all God is a God of an entire universe and we are not the only living intelligent species in existence. We also know God is a loving God not a vengeful, mean, angry God whom we have to make great physical sacrifice to satisfy. We know God desires we embrace each other and show patience and tolerant with one another as he shows us all.

 

Gnostics are born and find each other along their journey through life. We are not the typical Christian who goes to church every Sunday and does what the rest of the church congregation is doing. This is a lazy, thoughtless, and effortless way of worshipping True God. Gnostics serve True God. That is our form of worship. We also recall that our Lord Jesus said his yuck was easy and his burden was light, he did not say it was effortless. Gnostics automatically recognize each other and will often smile at each other in a way that is unique. It is a smile and look in the eye that says, “Hi, I know you friend”. We are always happy to see one another. This recognition is a result of us being bound together by an invisible, transcending thread of love.  

 

When we are summoned we immediately recognize the call. Think about when you were summoned and how your life was forever changed. Think about when you were spiritually awakened and were suddenly aware. Think about how that awakening caused those closest to you to pull away and even shun you. Jesus said easy and light…not effortless. Remember how those closest to you spoke to you, the things they said to you? As you think about these things, think about who became the evil one in your presence at that moment even though they might be avid church goers. What is hard is human reaction to your awakening. What is heavy is human condemnation and skepticism of your awakening and awareness.

 

Remember in Revelations the Lord said he would be outside the church knocking to get in? Do we all know what he meant? Most Christians have no idea. They are too caught up in their rituals, their traditions, and their general Christian customs to see the real. It is easier to follow. This is discussed in Richard Rohr’s novel, Things Hidden Scripture as Spirituality. As Gnostics we know God is a God of pure Love. To say God hates anyone or anything is a LIE as it is not possible. Remember Love and Hate are opposites and remember what our lord said about a house divided, how it cannot stand. It is not possible for God to hate. He is Love in its totality. However, Hate is something humans do quite well, and it is not because of any one devil. Gnostics know there are many devils among us and many demons, behaving very satanically. We also fully understand that a Devil or Demon is a physical person, and Satan is simply a behavior description.   

 

Think about all the roads you travel on in your journey of spiritual growth and enlightenment. Think about the people and the things that strengthened you along the way. Think about all those who hindered or tried to knock you off your path. Think about where you are today because you would not be shaken. You remained steadfast even when it seemed everyone abandoned you. Think about what choosing this way of worship cost you, what it meant, how it changed you life entirely. Contemplate hearing that voice and understand why it was a summons from God to open your eyes and see. Evaluate how it forever changed your life. We are in the service of True God. We do not judge, condemn, force, control, and/or hinder personal growth as these are attributes of Hate and we are not a faith of division.

Tweet