Happy Easter
Michael Turner
Fifteen years ago, I published this Easter message. This morning, it
seems as timely as when I first wrote it.
I hope you all are having a most blessed Easter Sunday, and that your
day is overflowing with God's LightSong of Eternal Love.
In Spirit,
Michael Turner
**************************************
ANTHEM OF THE SON
Little darling,
I see the ice is slowly melting.
Little darling,
It feels like years
Since it's been clear.
- The Beatles
As I gaze out of my office window, humming birds do pirouettes in an
aerial ballet – cottontails hop out onto the front lawn for an
afternoon snack – early flowers bloom – the hint of a storm awakens
the scent of creosote in the desert air. Ahhhh, Spring – a time of
rebirth and renewal.
It's no wonder that the advent of this season coincides with the
celebration of Jesus of Nazareth's death and resurrection. This
singular event, more than any other, has captured the human
imagination for the past 2,000 years. Much more so than Christmas,
Easter is the cornerstone upon which Christianity is based. It is a
beacon of hope to over a billion people around the world. A hope that
there is something more than just this life. And the promise that we
do not die when our physical bodies perish – that we survive to enjoy
the Kingdom of Heaven.
Now, most theologians believe, and orthodox Christian doctrine
maintains, that Jesus died for our "sins" - that he allowed himself to
be made a human sacrifice to save humankind from eternal death, or at
least purgatory (an experience not unlike an endless Rush Limbaugh
marathon). This reflects the Old Testament tradition of sacrificing
animals to atone for original sin, combined with the archetype of
dying to save another's life.
This image of God sacrificing Himself for man is a very powerful one,
and has intense emotional appeal - which is how it is intended by
those who convey it. Who could not be touched by the symbol of God -
our Father - dying so that we – His children – may live?
And yet I perceive the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection to be
much more profound - and simple - than this. The essence of Jesus'
teachings was the same as every Savior, Saint and Sat Guru: Soul is
eternal. Soul exists because God loves it. The Kingdom of Heaven
lies within. The Way to the Kingdom lies through God's Word - i.e.
Naam, Ruach, Kalma, Holy Spirit, Ek or Shabd. By following a living
master (in this case, Jesus) within, one may explore the many mansions
of God's house while still living in the flesh. It is this process of
consciously stepping out of the clay temple and directly experiencing
the Kingdom of Heaven that Saint Paul referred to when he wrote "I die
daily."
This why the Lord always blesses us with at least one living Sat Guru
in every generation - to serve as a living, breathing human (Hu-Man)
pole of God Essence who can link us with the Word and guide us within
to spiritual freedom.
One of the byproducts of this is the experience of one's eternal
nature as soul - an immortal, conscious atom of pure love in the body
of God. This is known as self-realization.
This is what Jesus was attempting to demonstrate through his death and
resurrection. By allowing his body to be publicly crucified until all
witnesses could agree that yes, he was indeed really dead - and then
reanimating it three days later - he offered a tangible, objective
demonstration that soul is eternal. The human body is an exquisitely
detailed, finely tuned temple of God - and it is also a mechanical,
physical object, not unlike an automobile. Without soul in the
driver's seat, it is an inanimate heap of flesh and bones. But, when
soul steps in and puts the key in the ignition - voila! HU-Man Be-
ing.
And that's what Jesus did. He put the key in the ignition and started
his body back up – as if to say: "Hey, death's no big deal. It's just
another frequency of consciousness and existence. Just because your
body gets old and dies doesn't mean you cease to exist. You are
soul. You are eternal. And I just proved it to you. Anything that I
have done, you can do also. For it is your birthright as soul, an
immortal child of God.
I repeat - you are eternal, and God loves you. Believe this. Know
this. Act upon it. Listen to God's Voice, His holy Word - and let It
guide you back to your Father's, and your, home. It's really that
simple.
May the Blessings Be, and
Happy Easter!
Michael Turner
Google Groups: Alt.Meditation.Shabda
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFS