The Joy of Uncovering the Divinity Within
by Rev. Cory Coberforward
Readings
Luke 19:28-40
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Isaiah 50:4-8a (responsive reading for live service)
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens--
wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.
The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward.
I gave my back to those who struck me,
and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.
The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
he who vindicates me is near.
Read the written message below with music videos
Our spiritual teachers have a very important job to do and when they are fruitful in helping us awaken to Spirit and Love we can’t help but rejoice, this is because intrinsic to the Spirit of God (known by many names) is joy. We recently saw a joyful and historic teaching moment when one of the world’s foremost spiritual teachers, Pope Francis, along with various Catholic bishops met with indigenous people from Canada over the course of a few days. During this visit, the indigenous peoples shared their stories and the lasting impact that residential schools and other colonizing efforts have had on them and their friends and family. The trip ended in a heartfelt speech and apology from the Pope, affirming the indigenous peoples’ experiences and expressing how much he’s learned in those few days, vowing to be a partner in decolonization and with indigenous peoples. In this example, we see that even the Pope has a learning journey and that often our best teachers are the most overlooked, as the humble and oppressed have some of the most potent messages to learn. The very light of our own being is similarly too overlooked and disregarded, but hopefully, we can change that just as the Pope is seeking to continue to listen and learn.
Just like with this historic moment, when helpful and hopeful teachings land we can’t help but rejoice. Particularly, when we see the Catholic Church, an organization behind some of the most heinous crimes in history, willing to grow and humble itself, how can we not celebrate? God can shine through anyone, no matter their history, if they are but willing to turn to listen. Today we celebrate the courage of those indigenous peoples and affirm their culture and their wisdom! Today, on Palm Sunday, we also celebrate another historic teacher and important moment, the day that Christ entered Jerusalem to much celebration. The name Jesus Christ also has somewhat of a sordid history, as so many people (including many within the Catholic Church) have used it to excuse atrocities and the opposite of healthy spiritual teaching.
However, the being that we call Jesus isn’t defined by how we’ve used his name, just as each of us are not confined by our limited ideas of ourselves – even if it seems so for a time. No matter what religion or story or version we use to approach God, God is beyond labels and invites us to meditate or pray on just that transcendence. Some people respond better to different words or ideas about God, indeed some ideas can be downright dangerous, and so intuition is necessary for each of our learning journeys to be successful in awakening us to our true nature and to God. In this way, we are each our greatest teacher.
Emanuel Swedenborg is one of my favorite teachers and a historic one for me as his 18th-century teachings taught me how to find life in what I thought a dead religion, Christianity. It’s interesting that what we think is dead and broken can awaken to us almost miraculously, almost like Christ after his crucifixion. Funny enough, Emanuel Swedenborg believed that the Catholic Church was itself quite dead, saying that the symbolism of the “whore of Babylon” from Revelation corresponded historically to the Catholic Church and its history of misusing the Bible (which when misused is the Beast that the church rides). Given its history and also its state at the time of his writings I can’t blame him for the assertion, but we thank God for any renewed life that the Catholic Church is having and pray for its continued resurrection!
We celebrate because the more healthy spiritual teachers there are, the better. This earth cries out for renewed life and a deepening of our spiritual eyes, not eyes toward the next life or the afterlife but toward this life and indeed this very moment! The indigenous peoples that spoke with Pope Francis spoke of the importance of their spiritualities and their cultures, cultures that are deeply connected to the earth and to Spirit and to Life as one. They shared how the work of colonization disrupted their connections to these cultures although didn’t murder them entirely for many. They were expressing their hope for continued reconciliation and for the renewal and reawakening of all their cultural roots in this age.
Christ shared a similar message, pointing to the natural depth of humanity and calling us to our birthright as children of God. He wasn’t officially “forming a religion,” but was seeking to renew life itself, to unveil our eyes from the blight of our misconceptions and ignorance. He was a teacher, a Father, a God, one with the only God known by many names. He wasn’t trying to convince us of a name for God but sought to help us overcome the oppression that had disrupted our natural state in love with life, with God, with nature, and with each other as one.
This is why the people celebrated him as he came into Jerusalem, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38) And why many of us celebrate him now. His teachings and life show us how close God is to each of us, and he invites us to turn away from our outward identifications and self misconceptions to get to know our true nature always at rest, at Sabbath, in the presence of God.
When teachings of love and life hit home for us, whomever the teacher, I think the image of Christ entering Jerusalem is apt. When we notice the spaciousness of our very being, our very consciousness, when we let go of our grip of ego (our idea of ourselves) and attachment and open ourselves to the light of love, it’s like Christ coming into the city of our being, relaxed on a donkey, celebrated because of the peace he brings – “Peace in heaven!”
The Lord is ready to enter more fully into our awareness, indeed he is already there. We have but to stop always trying to get out of the room of our very own sense of being, the light of consciousness itself. Instead, like the Pope, let’s turn our ear to the humblest of teachers and yet the most glorious as well, as the two come hand-in-hand. Let us listen to the stillness of peace present before and underneath every thought, let us turn our eyes upon Jesus and allow him to wipe every tear as he’s promised.
Peace is you,
Rev. Cory