Part 8 Implications
Over the years I found myself reflecting on how to share the significance of Easter with my kids, particularly as I no longer subscribe to substitutionary atonement theories. This year, as I was praying about how to share Easter throughout lent, God showed me an image of my butterfly tattoo, and the perfect analogy emerged. Jesus, through his life, death, and resurrection, revealed that death does not signal the end of our journey. Just as the butterfly emerges from the cocoon, Jesus arose from the tomb and conquered the fear of death. Initially, the disciples struggled to recognize him, sensing something different about his new form. Yet, he remained unmistakably Jesus, much like the butterfly retaining its essence while undergoing a profound transformation. Eventually, the disciples realized it really was Jesus indeed. Interestingly, within the cocoon, everything dissolves into mush before it eventually gets transformed into a butterfly, yet the life essence remains unchanged. While death may appear as the final chapters of humanity's story, it serves as the cocoon, the womb, or the egg for our transition into a new life.
I asked God for a deeper understanding of the new heaven and new earth, and God showed me a beautiful sun. God was the core of this sun, the ultimate Source, while we existed as individual rays emanating from the sun. Then, I witnessed a circular veil enveloping the sun, with the rays penetrating through this veil. Beyond this veil lay a realm where the illusion of separateness prevailed. We succumb to this deception, perceiving ourselves as distinct entities. Engulfed in this illusion, we look at each individual ray and engage in comparison, judgment, and conflict. Yet, upon the removal of the veil, we come to the profound realization that we were always interconnected. We are fundamentally One. We are made in the image of God because as rays of the sun, the sun is our essence. Jesus exhorts us to love one another because of this inherent unity. Our call to love even our enemies stems from this interconnectedness. The entirety of the laws can be summed up in "Love God and love others" as that becomes the sole and ultimate reality once the veil is lifted. The Spirit revealed to me that some can see through this veil. The veil is semi-translucent to them granting them partial sight of the truth, while others are cloaked in colored veils, coloring their perception entirely. Still, there are those ensnared in non-transparent veils, trapped in the illusion of separateness. However, this does not alter the truth that we are all part of the “sun”; it merely alters the perceived reality of those who choose to remain in the dark and are unwilling or unable to perceive the truth.
Jesus' life, death, and resurrection is a completely embodied vision of this new heaven and new earth. Through Jesus, we witness the manifestation of the Kingdom of Heaven and He extends an invitation for us to follow suit, demonstrating that embracing truth is far more rewarding than succumbing to the lies which are fueled by fear.
In this present life, we have the opportunity to encounter the Kingdom of God. It exists in the "now but not yet" realm because it already exists, we are merely veiled from the full realization and actualization of it, akin to the sun analogy I mentioned. In our current existence, we collectively participate in its unfolding on a timeline even though it is an ever present ultimate reality. Individually, we can choose to embody heaven on earth now, as Jesus did, and aid others in recognizing and living out this truth. Ultimately, there will come a time when the veil is fully lifted so to speak, and we will enter into a new heaven and earth. In this state, we will exist in our resurrected forms, fully reconciled with God, redeemed, and immersed in divine glory.
"He told them still another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.'" Matthew 13:33
The Kingdom of God is akin to yeast permeating dough. Though the yeast appears small and progresses subtly and slowly. Similar to the cocoon, where a great transformation occurs within the seemingly inactive dark cocoon, a profound change unfolds within both the cocoon and the dough. Gradually, the yeast makes it’s way into the entire batch and it is transformed into something entirely new and it assumes newfound capabilities.
Consider the caterpillar's transformation. While retaining its life essence, the butterfly transcends its former self. No longer defined by leaf consumption and crawling, it now thrives on nectar and takes flight. Similarly, we will experience transformation and redemption, attaining senses and capacities beyond our current grasp.
The analogy of the sun, butterfly, and yeast can all help us to understand this new heaven and new earth. The Kingdom of God is “already but not yet” just as the sun is already ever present and the rays are already ever connected, yet we are presently in this reality participating in it’s full unveiling. This ultimate reality does not negate the significance of our present life; rather, it encompasses and transcends it. Earth serves as the cocoon. We are in the cocoon. We are in a womb of sorts so to speak. We are preparing for birth. As yeast makes it’s way into the entirety of the dough, we too are being transformed individually and collectively. Within this transformative process, the entirety of Earth, including ourselves, will be renewed/redeemed/transformed/transcended. Death is simply the passage into this new existence, our entry into Life itself. Though it may seem scary and dark at times within this womb, God holds everything within His embrace, as God always has. Just as a baby in the womb may not see or perceive its mother directly, the child remains inherently connected to her, much like our connection to God. Thus, the notion of separateness is an illusion, one that Jesus came to dispel.
For those with eyes to see, may we see.
May our perception remain clear, untainted by distortion. May we embody and manifest the Kingdom of Heaven.
This vision of universal reconciliation instills hope and compels us to foster a world where love, justice, and mercy prevail. Thus, our journey with Christ in this lifetime grants us the privilege of experiencing Heaven in the present—a profound communion with God.
Thy Kingdom Come
Thy will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven