To be in the world but not of it.
My kingdom is not of this world.
What are these actually saying to us? These words have been playing in my awareness for the last week or a bit longer and last night as I thought about the election it dawned on me that perhaps this election wasn’t to set the world aright but to show those of us who are paying attention the fruitlessness of being of the world, of seeking the material kingdom.
Were the election to go what I would term badly, would that be bad? Would that not be more compelling, proving that this is not our kingdom and it is time to be in this world but not of it, to live in accordance with the Truth rather than the lie?
I haven’t been able to look at news today. Other than this quick post I haven’t been on social media. The strain of the material world is mighty even while I am fully cognizant that it is founded on shifting sands and in truth has not a whit of Truth within it.
And yet, here in form, we care about this kingdom which is not ours at all. It is such a quandary, a mixed bag of allegiance. We are human earth-lings. We care about others. We appreciate the sensual beauty that is found in the 3D. We incarnate to experience, to expand and grow and this is the perfect playground for that. And … we are divine, the one, the infinite invisible made visible. No wonder we are often split apart from our nature and from the Truth of who we are.
It is such a paradox, to care about a more perfect possibility for life on the planet and to know that this has no validity at all and whether this world appears to harm or appears to heal it is all still naught but illusion, a passing fancy, a holy hologram of infinity.
From this place of perfect balance, sitting in the sweet spot of the cross, suspended between heaven and earth remaining present to whatever presents itself is possible. Without the ethereal the earth walk is suffocating. Without the earthwalk the ethereal floats away into nothingness. Together they open into the Totality of Life and an Aliveness not possible without the perfect union of both.
So of the world or in the world? What offers the balance? Of the world drops the teeter totter to the earth. A head in the heavens flips the fulcrum the other way. The intricate precious balance requires us to realize the kingdom we seek is not here and to live fully human lives while embodied. — to feel, to love and remain open and available to Source inspiration with every breath regardless of what it looks like.
Who knows what is going to happen. I don’t and am glad of it. I knew last time. This time is a mystery. Whatever the result I will remain open and trust in the unfolding of Life in all its perfection even though I may not understand. Gotta love a mystery!
“Use all of your experience to find the perfect laugh within. It is always here-now, the haven of delicious, delectable comic relief, a hologram buster of infinite measure.” Card #28 Soul Music, The Wild Child
Amaya Gayle 
Hello,
Every living thing is pre-programmed by certain set of instructions, embedded in its living structure (known as instincts, in case of a human). These rather complex instructions are very important for the living thing to guide it in order to play its role(s) for which it is created while helping it to survive for as long as possible. (There are also various algorithms that are running in the background related to evolution). In other words, the living things are created ‘solely’ for the material world while they are guided by their natural instincts. In brief, they are of the world.
Similarly, if a human finds himself ‘having no choice’ but to follow his instincts ‘only’, as of survival, superiority, selfishness and applying justice on others to name a few, it is clear that he is created just to serve the world, by building and/or destroying it, as all other living things are programmed to do. In other words, such a human is also made to be of the world.
But a human may find himself ‘real free’ to oppose his natural ‘robotic’ nature (the only real freedom a human may have), how? by loving even his enemies, by being humble towards anyone else even if he has all the means to prove his superiority, by seeing others as an extension of his being, and by not judging or resisting evil (not applying any justice). Naturally, the material world, anywhere on earth, will ‘have no choice’ but to hate such a human for being no more of it (exactly as Jesus says).
Kerim Fahme
Hello Kerim. This post goes back three and a half years, so I had to reread what I had written before responding. I am always fascinated to look backwards so thanks for your comment.
I call the instincts and algorithms the living blueprint. It is in an infinite state of aliveness — changing, adapting, evolving. Each experience however small adds to the blueprint and it is not just our personal blueprint it is a collective blueprint as well. What we call ours is a precious swirl in the energetic field of aliveness.
Reading your thoughts, it seems there are similarities in our understanding. Thank you for reading and replying to my post. Bowed humbly, Amaya
Hello Amaya,
As you know, many persons have posted blogs to present their views (actually, what the men in charge of their Churches approve) concerning this natural crucial truth that Jesus reveals very clearly on the today’s Gospel. So, you are the first one who didn’t mind replying after hearing an idea not approved by any Christian Church/Denomination around the world. But, please notify me if my observation is wrong.
It happened that from Jesus only (on the Gospel), not from any other man/source, I was able to get, with time (I am 75 now), the logical answers to all important questions about my existence and the real world into which I was brought temporarily. In other words, I didn’t need to have faith/hope in Jesus Christ because I knew Him, since I was teen, based on reason instead. I mean, I didn’t need miracles to realize that Jesus is indeed my God because only God can give me the perfect knowledge I was looking for (‘perfect’ relative to my needs). But, saying that Jesus is my Divine Perfect Teacher about life (and afterlife) was heard by almost all Christians whom I had the chance to meet on the internet as a serious blasphemy, surely not against Jesus.
You may wonder, for example, how I knew for sure why Jesus says:
““If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
I personally lived this fact for many decades till now. And I had to live many real hard situations in which some persons (strangers and relatives) insisted to prove me that living the Unconditional Love towards all others, good and evil, is totally wrong. They all failed but I still wonder how and why I am still alive so far!
In brief, Jesus saved me from the greatest weakness, that a human may have, ‘ignorance’. Every human baby, including the one I was, is born with this serious weakness, by design. So, by the perfect knowledge I got from Jesus, I became totally free so that even my robotic nature can no more control my spiritual will of love even if it (my robotic nature) is stimulated by the greatest deceivers anywhere in the world.
I am glad to meet you though you don’t have to believe anything I said unless you see yourself somehow not of the world too.
And I wish that your dreams will be real,
Kerim (born and live in Aleppo city, Syria)
Hi Kerim, Thanks for writing again.
I don’t tend to concern myself with what other think — especially the men in the churches — my path has been one of discovery, of direct experience, of personal revelation. It sounds like your communion with Jesus is very similar. In my experience, Jesus is a friend, a way-shower. I also see Buddha and others in the same light. I feel that Jesus’s story was misinterpreted by the church. That is especially evident in the radical right version of it. He said we could be like him, not to worship him.
I don’t see God as outside of me. I see all life as God even though I rarely use the word God. It’s too easily misunderstood. I also see no separation between the ordinary and the extraordinary, the infinite aliveness and the expression of a world. I don’t see the defect you mention. That to me, is something that is taught, programmed in by our environment. It’s hard to escape it when from the first breath we are told we are separate from each other, let alone God — you baby; me Daddy — and it only progresses from there (or perhaps that is regression) as you seem to know. The biblical stories are intertwined in secular life so it is nearly impossible to escape.
And yet, some of us do. Why? How? It seems we were simply primed this time around to awaken from the dream. Life is the guru. It eventually awakens all of itself.
Nice to meet you, Kerim.
Amaya
Hi Amaya,
It seems you are as independent as I am. On my side, I used to present myself as ‘an independent student of Jesus Christ’ because the word ‘Christian’ means, in these days, being a believer in a well-organized Christian Church or Denomination (a formal religious system made in the name of Jesus). As I mentioned earlier, Jesus came to give me all the knowledge I need, not to be worshiped.
You mentioned the word God. In my turn, I can say that the simplest image of God is (I said ‘the simplest’ because Jesus revealed it to humans who were not evolved enough to get the big picture):
“The One Will/Power of the Father in Heaven (not incarnated) and Jesus (incarnated) who are unified, since before Creation, by the Divine Spirit of Love, known as the Holy Spirit”.
Sorry, but I feel now that I have to also talk here about the expression ‘Son of God’.
If someone introduces himself as ‘son of desert’, do we hear him say that ‘desert’ is his father or mother?!
If a kid is called ‘son of sin’, do we hear that ‘sin’ has to be his father or mother?!
It was obvious to know that ‘desert’ and ‘sin’ cannot be a parent because the world knows in advance the meanings of ‘desert’ and ‘sin’.
In general, to Pagans and Jews, then to Muslims (therefore, to most atheists too), the notion of ‘God’ or ‘the Creator’ refers to a ‘One-of-His-Kind’ Supernatural Being. But this image of God has nothing to do with Jesus’ message that focuses solely on the power of the Spirit of Love, the Holy Spirit.
If the word ‘God’ refers to ‘One Being’ only, this God, no matter how good he might be, has no choice but to love himself, that is, to be selfish. On the other hand, let us recall that there is no true love between a master and his slave/follower; a master is good only if his slave/follower is obedient. In fact, True Love cannot exist in a family if the husband or his wife insists to play the master of the house.
This is why Jesus is very clear about the Holy Spirit:
“Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”
From this saying, it is clear that Jesus’ image of God is based completely on the Divine Unifying Spirit of Love, the Holy Spirit. In fact, even in the material world, if we remove the ‘chemical love’ from human’s life, the great majority of humans (those of the world) would have no reason to work hard and look for survival. I witnessed this fact with almost all persons I knew. Also, in the material world, if a client contacts just one of two partners who founded a company, he knows in advance that he is actually contacting their One Company which represents their ‘One Will’.
Similarly, in the spiritual world, ‘God’ is the ‘One Will/Power of the Father and Jesus. So, it was natural for Jesus to say: “I and the Father are one” which is equivalent to ‘Son of God’ (coming from the One Will/Power of the Heavenly Realm of Love).
For instance, those who are created to serve the material world only (guided by their pre-programmed instincts) cannot, even if they want to, get/accept the image of God which is based on the unifying spirit of Love, the Holy Spirit (opposite of selfishness… etc). They are much like Nicodemus to whom Jesus said: “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?”
I like you know that while I respect others, as they are, always, they are free to tell me anything because I don’t have any red lines and I also have nothing to hide in my long personal life.
Salut,
Kerim
Hi Amaya,
I wonder if you asked yourself, as I did, the following question:
What could be the end purpose of the Will/Power behind my temporary existence in a realm which is defined and limited by time and space?
Thank you.
Kerim
I don’t seem to be bothered with questions these days. Purpose? Meaning? I find none other than that which I give it. We all seem to do the same. Isn’t that fun! My experience is that of a dream within a dream, a story within a story, neither true nor false but simply what I dream it to be. I could write tomes of possibilities, all of which are still in the dream, including the story of awakening, stories of dreams and dreamland, ideas of dimensions and angels, aliens and bad guys. There is anything we could possibly imagine right here, right now … rather than being a loss it is quite the gift. Am I right? How would I know? All I can know is what is experienced here within the dream, a dream character fulfilling her role.
At least you mentioned the keyword, dream.
In fact, I do perceive my existence in two realms, the one which is defined and limited by time and space (while my body is awake, as I am writing now) and the one that has no time and space boundaries (while dreaming).
Naturally, I lose my perception of the first one ‘completely’ anytime my body is in a deep sleep. And I will also lose it, but for good, at the death of my body.
But there is a fact which I cannot deny. I am always forced to perceive the time/space realm. First, no one was able to ask me if I like to be born and exist in it or not. Second, my living body is programmed to wake up, for one reason or another, from a deep sleep while I have no will, at all, in the first place.
I may say that I have 3 states of perception: of life (time/space), in a dream and having no perception at all (deep sleep or death).
The remaining very important point is that most of my dreams also start without my will. In other words, I am also forced to exist in a dream-like realm. This fact tells me that it is also possible that I will be forced to exist in a dream-like realm after the death of my body which cannot wake up and took me out of it (as it used to do while it was alive).
Now you may wonder, why I am telling you all this.
On my side in the least, my dreams reflect what I have in my heart towards whom I live and know. So, I try my best to let my dreams as peaceful and joyful as possible. I guess you know now why I insist to live the Unconditional Love towards all others, good and evil. We like it or not, only true love in one’s life is worth to be eternal while anything else will simply end up to the state of void/nothingness. For instance, the notion of ‘hell’ (or the like) is man-made and supported, since very long time ago, because it helps in controlling the world’s multitudes (by fear, as parents may do with their little kids).
I see both the nighttime dream and the supposedly awake daytime story as a dream, dream being as good a word as any. Even in deep sleep there is awareness. Who wakes up in the morning knowing that you slept deeply? We just don’t think of it as awareness in deep sleep.
Time and space are interesting concepts which delved into prove to be nothing but ideas, useful for navigating the appearance of solidity, of space, and movement, of time. Pay close innocent attention, attending without the beliefs you have about them, and they will show themselves for what they are.
Forced is an interesting word. Just sayin’. You assume you are an object that can be forced by something more powerful. I don’t see it that way anymore. I can tell you my version, but it’s only my version. Yours will remain yours until your experience of it changes which it is always doing. We tend to not see the change because we are trapped in our beliefs.
Beliefs of any kind are not our friends. They create separation and separation is my definition of hell.
Your last paragraph points to a bigger truth — the instantaneous karma, the outpicturing of the inner landscape, the manifestation of the inner blueprint, the blueprint that is in perpetual motion, changed and changing with each experience. As more loving actions add to the blueprint it cannot but help create a more loving experience.
Namaste,
Amaya
In a dream, one has no ‘new’ will in its stories. His dream’s stories run according to his will which was made in daylight (in the time/space existence).
This explains (to me in the least) why I can’t live nightmares anymore while I live the Unconditional Love towards all others. But, believe me, living this sort of love (in daylight) is not easy at all because it has to oppose many natural pre-programmed instructions (instincts) which are embedded in the human living flesh.
In brief, I personally see two kinds of belief, a belief based on a theory and a belief based on one’s perception/experience. This is why I don’t take seriously a scientific idea (for instance, I gain my daily bread, since after graduation, as a private professional designer in electronics for the local consumers) if it couldn’t pass my logical reasoning and experiments. This also applies on the ideas which I have accepted to add in my set of knowledge and are related to my spiritual life as well.
Jesus surprised me when He described by a simple clear/practical parable the afterlife’s dream. The irony is that all formal Christian Churches and Denominations around the world had to ignore its crucial truth in one’s life (speaking spiritually). This had to be the case because these systems have to be run by rich powerful persons who are, by design, of the world (like Nicodemus on the Gospel). Naturally, it is better not to talk about it here because it is related to daylight’s reality (which, if I understood you well, doesn’t exist on your side).
Daylight’s dream is not much different than the sleeping dream. It is all a wonderful messy painful joyful dream, and Amaya a dreamed character through which This That Is experiences itself. Enjoyed chatting. Humbly, Amaya
From what you wrote, so far, it seems to me, so perhaps I am wrong, that, on your side, you simply live stories inside stories “a wonderful messy painful joyful dream” while you have no control (no role, besides your awareness), in any of them, on the events which are related to you, directly or indirectly.
Not quite … it is not either or. It is both, human life fully lived without need for it to be other that as it is and the recognition of it all happening within the Awareness I am, the one Awareness, the one that is not two, not chopped up into personal awarenesses, personal consciousnesses … fully human, fully divine, divine not being what we’ve been told 😉 … When the recognition dawned, I could never have imagined it to be as it is. My first words were … so that’s what the mystics meant. Never saw that coming. It’s the reason so many saw it is unnameable, incomprehensible. As long as we hang onto any idea of what this is, we cannot see it, and yet it is right here in plain sight.
Best wishes for the journey.
Amaya
I guess it became clear that we don’t see our existence in the same way although each of us feels fine in his journey.
On your side, you cleverly simplified your life and existence by the word ‘awareness’. In other words, I may say that you ended up believing that your birth is much like an invitation to watch an endless movie in which you were given already a role or roles to play.
For instance, a few years ago, I knew a man who also managed to simplify his life by believing that whatever looks wrong or bad in his life or in the world is just an illusion.
On my side, I see my birth as an invitation to have a personal ‘will’ while I am given the freedom to let ‘my will’, during my temporary existence in the material world, be (or not to be) an image of the ‘Will’ behind my existence.
I guess it could sound like a simplification but to assign one way or the other to it does life an injustice. It is both at the same time, all at the same non-time … lol. I am both simplified and complex. I have a will and have no will and have all wills. As I wrote, it is impossible to put this into words. I use Awareness, Infinite Aliveness, Actuality, Consciousness … all as pointers to that which can not be understood by a mind, my friend. The human mind feels a need to categorize, to make something this not that, here not there, now not then. It is none and all of those things.
During my rather long journey, I didn’t know even one person who sees life as I do.
I wonder if you had the chance to know one person in the least who sees life as you do.
I met a lot of people on my journey. With some I had bits in common, but now not so much. Perhaps that is simply the nature of the journey or the personal wording that comes with it. We are all unique, so it shouldn’t be surprising that our expression of This is unique as well.
You are right. Many factors let our expression about a fact or truth be (or sound) somehow unique, if not weird.
But it happens that whatever I discovered in my deep nature and in the real world (far from the great speeches) was already mentioned on the Gospel (but not in the teachings of any formal Christian Church). I hope you don’t mind I give one example only here (because there are many).
When I was a kid, I was told that not attending Sunday’s Mass deliberately is a serious sin. But when I grew up, I found out that it is just another man-made ritual by which believers could be gathered to glorify their idol(s) and receive honor one of another. It seems that almost all Christians around the world have their good reasons not take seriously what Jesus says clearly about the real prayer which is strictly personal in all respects {Matthew 6:5…}.
If you study any religion, you will find the key that unlocks their mystery is the same key. The mystics of all religions say the same things. Seeing through the ruse of society’s interpretations, allows one to see the not so hidden truths in all mysticism.
It happened that I didn’t need to study any religion seriously while I was getting (as I mentioned earlier) the logical answers to all my important questions about my existence and the real material world (as designed) from what Jesus says only (directly from the Gospel).
I was born in a Roman Catholic family. At school (a French Catholic one), I used hearing what were called Church’s teachings. I was rational since my early years (math, unlike literature, was, still is, my favorite because its core is based on logical reasoning). And most of these teachings, if not all, (claimed being of Jesus) sounded illogical to me in many respects. So, when I was about 17, I decided to start reading what Jesus says on the Gospel (a Catholic Arabic version, printed 1967) to prove, to myself in the least and for good, that Jesus’ teachings as of the Church have nothing to do in my life and have, therefore, no place in my personal set of knowledge.
To my big surprise, I found out that almost all Church’s teachings (not the Catholic ones only) were different from, if not opposite of, Jesus’. Then, with time, I had more surprises every time I noticed that Jesus agrees with me, since about 2000 years, on what I was discovering in my being, my surroundings and in the real world as well.
Therefore, if Jesus brought me on the Gospel any sort of magic or mysteries, I would see in him just another character made famous by men for money and power (or the like).
For instance, I also used to discover the truths, usually hidden in various stories made/spread by the powerful rich world’s deceivers, for myself in the least, so that I don’t see a naive confused man every time I look at a mirror.
Thank you for sharing, Kerim. Blessings.
In case you like solving puzzles, here is one 🙂
It was out of question for me to get married. Could you guess the reason? Hint: It is not mentioned, explicitly or implicitly, anywhere on the internet (unless it was me who wrote it).
Obviously, I will let you know it because it will be impossible for you to guess it 🙂
And for the same reason, it was also out of question for Jesus Christ to be married. It has nothing to do with sexuality. It is simply related to the title of this page above.
I’d have to disagree with your comment. To be in the world not of it, doesn’t preclude our very human nature. It embraces our humanity absolutely. No separation, not even between in the world and of the world. The key is to be truly alive in the world amidst the recognition that we are not of it. At least it makes it a lot more fun and rewarding.
It seems I gave you the impression that I am against marriage. But, if my earthly father didn’t love my mother and married her, I wouldn’t have the chance to exist in the first place. And, I am also fortunate for being born because of love, not because of a rule (religious or civil) that bans abortion (big difference).
I guess it is the time to talk about how a man and a woman could be married really. The prerequisite of a good marriage anywhere on earth is that it should be confirmed (and blessed, if you like) by someone representing a certain authority (religious or civil, if not both) which is recognized by the couple’s community. For example, when I said I was born in a Catholic family, you knew automatically to which authority my parents had to be submitted in order for them to live as a husband and wife under one roof (while they are also blessed by their community). In other words, no matter how a man and a woman love and trust each other, their common ‘will’ has no real value if their union is not confirmed/approved by another ‘will’ which has to be above theirs.
I mean, could you tell me which authority that Jesus would choose to bless/approve his marriage with a woman? The ‘Will’ of this authority had to be higher than His ‘Will’. And such authority doesn’t exist anywhere on earth in the first place (if He is a ‘Divine Being’ really, Son of Heaven). This is why I said that it was out of question for Jesus to be married.
Similarly, I would be a liar if I say I am a real independent man while I live (or lived) with a wife after I submitted to a certain authority deliberately and I admitted, therefore, that its ‘will’ is higher than mine. So, all person whom I live/work with are free to leave me anytime they like. Naturally there is no woman among them because women are not free in this respect, by design (this is why a sort of formal marriage was very important in every community/culture/religion since always).
For instance, I had an uncle who became a Catholic priest (his mother sent him when he was 10). He couldn’t stay in Aleppo city for long and moved, many decades ago, to Paris. And he also couldn’t imagine that a man, as I, can live without having sexual relationships. So, he had to assume that I am gay. In my turn, I had to ask him if he also sees Jesus as gay. His answer was: “Jesus only can live without having sexual relationships of any sort”. I preferred not to argue with him while we were in Paris, and he had many female assistants around him.