It's worth emphasizing, as your original comment does, that the greatest challenge we have is to become fully integrated, fully in control of ourselves, bringing our flesh and actions unto a perfect unity with our original mind and divine nature. It's where everything starts from.
Personally, I subscribe to the Three Blessing model. The model is based on the scripture that God's blessing to Adam was "be fruitful, multiply and have governance over the creation".
This is frequently misinterpreted, because folks haven't really thought it through. But let's start with the question, when or how does a tree become fruitful? A tree bears fruit when it is fully mature, completed its growth and maturing cycle - attained tree 'adulthood'. Same for all creatures- they bear only after they have reached maturity and completion.
Be Fruitful means complete and perfect the potential of your individual nature, such that your mind which is rooted in God is perfectly united with your flesh, which is rooted in the physical world. Perfection, as an individual before God.
Next step: Multiply that perfection, by forming a union in relationship with a significant other - a husband or wife - and then bear children on the foundation of that relationship. The perfection of unity with God is thus multiplied into perfection between husband and wife, and thus offspring are created, in perfect love. Expand that, through a clan, a wider ethnic group, to create a society, and nation rooted in that perfect relationship with God. Such a nation would be God's nation.
Next step: extend the self-governance you have perfected through your relationship with God, multiplied through all other relationships (of which family is the cornerstone and model), to the creation (universe), and govern the creation as your govern your own self: centered on unity with God.
If and when humans fulfill the three blessings, then truly, this would be the kingdom of heaven on earth. This is the model, and the doorway to which Christ comes to restore.
In a nutshell*
Don't know if this resonates, but for me, this provides a very clear framework for understanding and engaging with our world, and with the past from which we come.
Actually, if you got the latter, then you already have the former.
Me? I'm very much a work in progress...
It's worth emphasizing, as your original comment does, that the greatest challenge we have is to become fully integrated, fully in control of ourselves, bringing our flesh and actions unto a perfect unity with our original mind and divine nature. It's where everything starts from.
Personally, I subscribe to the Three Blessing model. The model is based on the scripture that God's blessing to Adam was "be fruitful, multiply and have governance over the creation".
This is frequently misinterpreted, because folks haven't really thought it through. But let's start with the question, when or how does a tree become fruitful? A tree bears fruit when it is fully mature, completed its growth and maturing cycle - attained tree 'adulthood'. Same for all creatures- they bear only after they have reached maturity and completion.
Be Fruitful means complete and perfect the potential of your individual nature, such that your mind which is rooted in God is perfectly united with your flesh, which is rooted in the physical world. Perfection, as an individual before God.
Next step: Multiply that perfection, by forming a union in relationship with a significant other - a husband or wife - and then bear children on the foundation of that relationship. The perfection of unity with God is thus multiplied into perfection between husband and wife, and thus offspring are created, in perfect love. Expand that, through a clan, a wider ethnic group, to create a society, and nation rooted in that perfect relationship with God. Such a nation would be God's nation.
Next step: extend the self-governance you have perfected through your relationship with God, multiplied through all other relationships (of which family is the cornerstone and model), to the creation (universe), and govern the creation as your govern your own self: centered on unity with God.
If and when humans fulfill the three blessings, then truly, this would be the kingdom of heaven on earth. This is the model, and the doorway to which Christ comes to restore.
In a nutshell*
Don't know if this resonates, but for me, this provides a very clear framework for understanding and engaging with our world, and with the past from which we come.