All posts by Jonah

The Convertible and The Kingdom

Once, there was a wise man and his student walking down a busy New York street. And just as they were coming around the corner, parked on the side of the road was a shiny red convertible. In this red convertible was a couple, who had just been married. They were standing in their seats dancing to music! The Wise man said to his student, ‘Now that is what we need!’ And the student said, ‘oh yes, I have always wanted a red convertible!’ And the wise man said ‘no, not the convertible’ And the student said, ‘oh yes, we all need to dance a bit more.’ And the wise man said, ‘no, not the dancing’. And then student said, ‘but teacher, what do you see?’ and the wise man said, ‘What is most real and most essential is the loving-joy flowing between them.’

Every human spirit is called today to develop new eyes and new ears for what is essential. We need new eyes to see like this wise man, seeing in and through the material objects, in and through the outer appearances, seeing through to what is most important; moral forces like loving-joy that can awaken in human hearts. For whenever we see love, or peace, or gratitude, compassion, or any fruit of The Spirit active in the human heart, we see Christ working, we see His kingdom alive. And this is why our gospel this week (Matt 6) calls us not to worry about material concerns. We are to seek first this kingdom of Christ in all things, to make that our essential ground, and then everything else will fall into place.

Now, this is no mere optimism or denial of shadow and pain. We are not meant to neglect the material world or our suffering. Practicing seeing the kingdom of god in all things brings light into the darkness, enlivens our world with His.

Dear friends, this means that when all is said and done, the most powerful weapon against the adversarial forces is spiritual joy. The spiritual joy that can awaken when we feel Chirst’s presence, Christ’s kingdom come close, in and through the dark.

This contemplation by Rev. Evans was inspired by Matt 6

 

True Life is Love

How do we attain eternal life? What does it mean to be truly alive? 

This is the question that is addressed to Christ in our gospel this week (Lk 10). His answer is a story. A story about a samaritan who compassionately gives himself, his time, his energy, his care, for the life of stranger. Christ is telling us that true life is to be found now- that eternal life is not to be found in heaven or after we die, but here, now, on earth- whenever active love awakens for another human being. 

This means that within every one of us there is also a good samaritan. And to awaken the good samaritan in us we are called to give ourselves in loving support for the life of another. For active love is not only how we come into contact with what it means to be truly alive, it also means that being truly alive requires one another- true life necessitates community. For real Christian Community is founded on a quality of heart- a quality that grows from the hearts knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but to love God in and through one another.

And yet, the roots of our loneliness are deep- the forces that alienate are strong…. every modern person knows this. For we are so often tempted away from community because of the inner suspicion that there is no one who actually cares without strings attached – tempted away because of the inner suspicion that there is really no place where we can be vulnerable without being used. These thoughts and feelings attempt to keep us from one another- keep us from true life.

Dear friends, may what flows from our altar enliven our hearts togetherness. May He strengthen our faith in the power of self-giving, community building love.

This contemplation by Rev. Evans was inspired by the good samaritan.

What ‘Pokeman Go’ Teaches Us About Our Destiny

Just the other day, there appeared at the church door-step a strange group of people. Folks of all different ages looking through their cell phones at the church and our grounds, peering through their screens with enthusiastic anticipation. They were playing a new game who’s popularity is spreading like wildfire. This new game is called ‘Pokeman Go’.

Now, the object of Pokemon Go is to ‘set free’ little coloured creatures that show up on your screen depending on where in the real world you are. You may have to go to the gas station to find them, or to Sobey’s parking lot, or to the empty field down the road, or here at our church. The point is that you are searching to find and set free little virtual beings that are trapped in various real life locations. But they can only be seen in and through your screen.

Dear friends, this game, this ‘pokeman go’ that is so popular today can actually remind us of a deeply human task. For Pokeman go imitates in the virtual world what we must do in the real word. It imitates in the virtual world, a spiritual task that humanity must cultivate in this world. This is because within every human spirit there a deep call to become aware of the elemental beings within all of creation. Just like the virtual spirits waiting to be found in pokeman, the elemental spirits that are the plants, animals, trees, are actually longing for human beings to find them, to wake up to their reality. But not with screens, with the eyes of the heart! For Paul says in Romans, All of creation is groaning for the sons of god to awaken to them…and muster the spiritual strength to set them free.

This is why the work of becoming aware of the elemental world that so many of our congregation is involved with is so important…

May we as a community continue to strengthen our capacity to become aware of the beings of the elemental world and bring to them what they need- the liberating medicine of human reverence, gratitude and love. Otherwise, games like ‘pokeman go’ will divert and suck up the forces of this deeply human destiny into the virtual world, depriving creation of what it needs.

So as we go out into nature during these august vacation months- canoeing, camping, hiking- let us look with new eyes and new hearts at the trees, the rivers and plants. Let us look with Christs eyes and bring to these nature beings the medicine they need.

The Renewed Christian Mission for Today

Most of you have probably never heard of Lee Atwater. But Lee Atwater was one of the most significant American political advisors of our time. He became great in the 1980’s by making popular the tactic of lying about his opponents in such a skilled way that the lie became the public truth. And even though Atwater is the father of ‘negative and hate politics’ that we see used so much today, at the end of his life he had a profound transformation. This transformation began when Atwater collapsed with a brain tumor that left him paralyzed and soon took his life. But before he died this illness became his gift- his illness became the very catalyst needed to change his heart and mind.

Atwater describes his transformation in an letter to a politician who’s career he ruined…he says…

My illness helped me to see that what was missing in society is what was missing in me: a little heart, a lot of brotherhood. The ’80s were about acquiring—acquiring wealth, power, prestige. I know. I acquired more wealth, power, and prestige than most. But you can acquire all you want and still feel empty. What power wouldn’t I trade for a little more time with my family? What price wouldn’t I pay for an evening with friends? It took a deadly illness to put me eye to eye with that truth... I don’t know who will lead us through the ’90s, but they must be made to speak to this spiritual vacuum at the heart of… society…’

Dear friends, just like Lee Atwater, within every one of us there is this capacity to transform, to transmute the pain of our mistakes, shadows and weaknesses into deep wisdom and love. This transforming power is The Christ in us- The Christ in Lee Atwater- the father of hate politics.

May we learn to see this Christ power working in us, working in others, even when it lights up in the most despised.

For the new mission as striving Christians is not to convert souls to Christ by what we say, but like Peter in our gospel today – The new Christian mission for our time is to recognize Christ when He comes alive- when He comes alive in any soul, even our enemy.

Compassion is a Being and a Substance

The greatest Christian initiate of our times once wrote:

‘As long as you feel pain that I avoid

The Christ remains unrecognized

At work in the World of Being-

For my spirit remains weak

as long as I am only capable of feeling my own pain.’

These words can remind us that within every human spirit there lives the possibility of awakening to The Christ. But this capacity to know and feel the Christ does not depend on how many bible verses I can quote or how many esoteric books I’ve read. Recognizing Christ does not depend on my ability to see auras or elemental spirits. These profound words can remind us that recognizing the Christ in us and in the world means compassion- that the very doorway to christ’s being is to feel someone else’s pain- to suffer with the other.

In these extraordinary times, when almost every morning we wake up to another world tragedy, the most recent in Nice and Ankara, in these extraordinary times our souls are being tested. We are tested by the forces working in the terror and in the media who would have our hearts succumb to fear, anxiety and prejudice, the perfect soil for the thought, enough is enough its time to exterminate this evil. Or the forces working in the terror would have our hearts succumb to numbness and despair, tempting us to go to sleep to world because the suffering is unbearable- because there is nothing that one can do.

Dear friends, as striving christians our faith must become that real compassion is profoundly meaningful for the future of our evolution. That focusing on feeling the pain of those who suffer these tragedies, practicing allowing our hearts to break and our tears to flow, overcoming fear and despair, that this is deeply meaningful. That the compassion filled heart in itself is profoundly meaningful because it enlivens Christ’s reality in this world. For as long as you feel pain that I avoid, Christ remains unrecognized at work in the World of Being.

This contemplation by Rev. Evans was inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s words and current events

Lion and Lamb

In our gospel today (Jn 1), John the Baptist recognizes Jesus as he walks to the river Jordan and says ‘Behold the lamb- the lamb who takes upon himself the sin of the world’. Not only is Christ the lion of Judah, the one who courageously speaks the word of truth to the adversaries in the desert and to the oppressive powers of the world, Christ is also the sacrificial lamb. For the lamb of God is inwardly strong enough to take upon himself all of the pain, suffering and injustice of this world and endure it, carry it- ultimately sacrificing himself like a lamb through it in order to create a new future for mankind.

Within every human spirit lives the Christ, both lion and lamb. The Christ lion in us is courageous- always ready to speak truth to power, always ready to call out injustice when it is right. But the Christ lamb in us is inwardly strong- patiently ready to endure the pain of what oppresses us, letting go of the impulse for vengeance, renouncing violence and power for love. With the Christ coming alive in our soul, both lion and lamb come together in us.

In our dark times, even with the recent violent tragedy in Dallas, even with the oppression of systemic racism and prejudice that effects so many, even with all of the terrorism taking place today in the name of a false God, even with a culture of fear and hate that is propagated by media and politicians, even with all of the untruths and sufferings that exist in our world, we are all called to cultivate light in this darkness.

For if the Christ is to shine in our hearts, we must always remember that the darkness is meant to be there. Our task is not to vanquish evil for in this world there will always be oppression and pain. Our task is that in the face of this darkness, the human heart shines with the light of Christ. May he  shine in us with the lambs capacity to endure sacrifice, to endure the unjustified pain in our lives without resorting to violence. And may He shine in us with the lions courage to speak truth- truth to all the oppressive powers that be.

This contemplation by Rev. Evans was inspired by John the Baptist and recent events.

The Art of Learning

On Friday, our daughter Saskia fell off her chair at the dinner table and broke her elbow. But with her special condition and the complexities it brings, she had to wait many hours at the hospital without pain medication before she could have surgery. Finally, as they rolled Saskia into the operating room, the nurse brought a basket full of toys for her to choose from. With tears of fear and having to leave mom running down her face, Saskia reached into the basket. She pulled out a toy horse. This is for Milena, she said. Despite all her fear and pain, Saskia was thinking of her sister.

Teachers come in all sizes, dear friends. With Saskia’s gift of selfless love and compassion, her light is often my teacher. Children in general are the best teachers. But if we have the eyes to see, each human relationship we have can be a teacher. For every human heart carries a unique gift of light, however faint, that can school us if we allow it. The steadfast commitment of one, the enthusiasm for life of another, the capacity for devotion of still another, or the precise intellect of yet another, this glistening of many lights that makes up our community is shining if we can only see.

And yet, so often, we only see shadow. So often we would neglect the light of others preferring their darkness. So often we would fill ourselves with judgements, condemnations and envy, inwardly dismissing our brothers and sisters for their weakness rather than beholding and learning from their light.

Dear friends, at St. John’s we are all called to see the shining gift of light in every heart. That is why the chasuble that the priest wares changes from the U that we usually find, to the eight glistening diamonds that we see now. The eight shining diamonds are a symbol of the new community, where each individual recognizes the diamond-light in the other- where each separate human ego is filled with the light of the other. For the secret of true community lives in the art of learning from one another.

May He strengthen this learning. May He unite us with His light.

This contemplation by Rev. Evans was inspired by Saskia and the St. John’s chasuble.

Fathers Day

What do you give a father who has everything? For not only do so many of us fathers today have all the watches, books and ties that a dad could possibly ever need but imagine what it is like for the Father of us all? What could we gift The Father Ground of the world that He doesn’t already have?

For nothing is outside the Father. Everything that is, from the mighty Seraphim to the Angels to the elemental beings of nature, even evil, all is in the Father. And yet, what is astounding is that The Father is hoping for something new. He is not hoping for a shiny object but like so many fathers, His greatest hope is that his children become who they are meant to be. The Father is longing for a tenth heirarchy, a new addition to the nine already in him, The true human being who loves in freedom. For no other heirarchical angel, not archangels or cherubim, no other heirarchy can love in freedom.

This is why we are here. Every human soul is called to either freely cultivate courageous love and become the gift that The Father doesn’t yet have, or be tempted to allow hate, prejudice and fear to gradually win our hearts, falling into beastliness. A beastliness that is possible in each one of us. A beastliness that has just manifested in Orlando, Great Britian and many other places around the world.

And so, dear friends, if we are to have a chance against the forces of fear in our hearts, we need help. Our personal love is too weak on its own. This is why we are all called by the altar to wrest ourselves free from the load of sin and join with Him who has his being in love. May we allow Him to fill us. May He guide us to become the Gifts we are meant to be.

This contemplation by Rev. Evans was inspired by Fathers Day and our true becoming.

Becoming Lazarus

It is hard to deny our attraction to the sun. When the sun is out and it’s warm and breezy, its difficult to stay inside. But even though the sun is not in us, when we go outside we can feel it’s warmth in our core. Even though the sun calls us from outside, our bodies can feel it’s power inside!

Just like our connection to the Sun outside, every human heart is also connected to the living spiritual sun- the spiritual sun of Christ. For He walks in the spirit before us, calling us out of our small selves. For it is very important that we remember again and again that He is not us; that He is infinitely greater than who we are. But when we turn and open our hearts to Him, like to the outer sun, we can begin to feel His warmth, feel His spiritual power awakening in us.

This inner relationship with Christ is there because every human soul is destined to become a Lazarus. A Lazarus who, like in our gospel today (John 11), is called forth, awakened, resurrected by Christ! We are destined to become a Lazarus who recognizes that our true life does not come from biology, bank accounts or even my inner self. We are destined to become a Lazarus who feels that it is not my I, but Christ is the life and power in me.

Therefore, dear friends, let us turn with trust to our sacred ritual. Let us turn to the path of Christian Initiation of which Lazarus is our guide and model. For the only reason to come to our service is not to be good or to rely on some priest. The only reason to come to the act of consecration is to catch a ray of the Christ sun shining in our midst. May we feel His presence. May we allow His life to warm our souls.

This contemplation by Rev. Evans was inspired by John 11

Born Again

There is a Cherry tree in our back yard. And at this time of year, the tree blooms with beautiful white flowers that fill our living room window. And we admire our cherry tree for her beauty. And yet, if we look closely, unless her white blossoms fall away, the cherries cannot come forth. Unless she lets go of that which we admire so much, her nourishing fruit cannot be given to the world.

Like the tree, every human spirit also longs to be fruitful, to give nourishing life to others. This is because at our core, our highest destiny is to serve others, to serve new life with creative love. This means that we are called not only to develop higher capacities, beautiful flower petals in our inner being, but like the tree to learn to let them go as something for ourselves, something to be admired, transforming them into fruit that can serve the community.

And yet, so often we find that we love ourselves in our work more than we love the work itself and the others it serves. So often we would secretly rather others recognized us for our advanced spiritual petals rather than serve the world. So often our motivation for development is to blossom forth a preferred self that others respect, honour and glorify, rather than loose ourselves to find ourselves. For, dear friends, in the end, self love becomes the mightiest enemy of our true destiny.

In our gospel today (Jn 3), Christ calls us into a new kind of community. He calls us to become a part of a community of souls that are born again, born again into true life. He tells us that what we are today, like the blossoms of the cherry tree, must drop away, transforming into fruit, the fruit of selfless love. For it is only this life giving love flowing between free human spirits that creates this new community. May we become this harvest. May we enter this kingdom of God.

This contemplation by Rev. Evans was inspired by The Cherry Tree and being Born Again.