John 3:1-17
Lent 2 - Year A
"Trinity" - Year B
A "Special Note" in the New Interpreter's Study Bible on the phrase "eternal life" found here in verse 15 and again in 3:36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:27; 17:14 says:
"'Eternal life' does not speak of immortality or a future life in heaven, but is a metaphor for living now in the unending presence of God. Jesus' offer of his own life through being lifted up on the cross makes eternal life possible for those who believe. This is the new life Jesus promised Nicodemus in 3:3 and 5."
Even with the helpful image of "the unending presence of God," there is still that old bugaboo about crucifixion being the mechanism of such a presence. It would seem a stronger connection is Jesus living of his own experience of the presence of GOD opens us to the possibility of also so living our experience of the presence of GOD. The crucifixion part is an extension of the living not the beginning of such living.
May we experience the joy of the presence of GOD. May such experience overflow the boundaries of our own life. May the world be blessed by Emmanuel, GOD with us . May we be energized by this "eternality" of life.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2003/june2003.html
A lovely progression - speaking what we know and testifying to what we have seen - not sent to condemn.
So often we get caught speaking what we know as though it were the only thing to be known. It is so easy to move from knowledge to power. A redeeming factor is needed to keep us from this trap of insisting that others see what I see. That gift is the gift not to insist but simply to witness.
It is so easy to say more than we know to try to prove the little we know. It is so difficult to simply say what we know.
This has been true over the years in regard to Trinitarian issues. It is still true over this and other creedal tools that have become weapons. May we know that salvation/healing is not done by fiat but through living.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2003/june2003.html
Get up, disciples! It is time to move from a knee-jerk reaction to worship what we don't yet know or to raise never-ending questions. Life needs living. Enough hiding your faces from the light in the cloud or the light in night.
I probably added this the last time we looked at this passage, but I just can't get enough of the note about verse 15 from The New Interpreter's Study Bible: "Eternal Life" does not speak of immortality or a future life, but is a metaphor for living now in the unending presence of God.
Eternal life is about beginning now to participate in GOD's presence. Incarnation and Transfiguration are about the possibility of new life, not judgment upon past life. Forgiveness and Grace are about moving ahead without getting stuck where we have been.
Fellow Nicodemites, let us begin our journey to move from inquiry to actual support of those accused by the prejudices of our culture to caring for those chewed by religio/politico structures to being an active organizer for justice for same.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/february2005.html
You must be born from above.
From above we hear, "Beloved!"
How can this be? : Should we build three shelters?
Are you a teacher of Israel? : Are you disciples of mine?
To "?" comes "!".
GOD loves through bestowing a blessing of Belovedness and reveals eternity in the midst of lives. This is not limited, restrictive, or condemnatory, but salvific.
You might try this chant for a week and see what difference it makes:
I
I am
I am blessed
I am blessed, beloved
You
You are
You are blessed
You are blessed, beloved
All
All are
All are blessed
All are blessed, beloved
Enemies
Enemies are
Enemies are blessed
Enemies are blessed, beloved
Cosmos
Cosmos is
Cosmos is blessed
Cosmos is blessed, beloved
- - -
Dave (Reader)
Wesley refers to technique, and it reminded me of J. Ellul's book on Technique, but I forgot what it was about. Can some one refresh my memory?
I wondered if there was a relationship between the two?
Thanks?
- - -
Dave (Reader)
I found my own answer, but suggest that you look at the website of victorshepherd.on.ca, which is about J. Ellul and an excellent summary of his life.
Like Ellul, this website keeps me off balance and that makes me grow.
Keep up the good work, all who share here.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/february2005.html
Such a familiar story. We think we have it pegged with particularistic born againness or with universalistic salvation of all. It is difficult to listen for the wind, spirit, breath, voice of a new creation.
Now it sighs, now it blusters. Now it wraps with gentleness around, now it whips our hat away.
So it is. Non-linear. Enjoy.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2006/june2006.html
You must be born from above.
Here is a place for you to put on your thinking cap. Ken Wilber walks you through a series of waves of existence. If you need to cut to the chase page down until you come to a series of colors.
I recommend you read the whole article, but at least check out the color levels 1-8 (with 8 being above to 7, etc.). Note that 8 doesn't erase 7.
Being born from above helps us appreciate the below that had its part to play in bringing us to the above.
If you know of a graphic online that shows this, let us know.
- - -
Wesley (Blogger)
One of our readers sent a graphic that can represent the waves of existence. You are invited to check The Integral Institute for more information.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2006/june2006.html
Can one be born again? It happens all the time.
Abram, Sarai, Lot, and more are born again through immigration. This is not an issue of legal or illegal. It is a call from G*D, a necessity. Abram ran a risk greater than deportation. He felt in danger of his life and felt this strongly enough to risk his relationship with Sarai.
Elijah was born again while hiding in a cave.
Moses found a birth canal through a burning bush.
The Psalmist found new birth with a song of trust and confidence.
Peter is reborn through questions of his love.
Saul is reborn Paul on his way to Damascus.
To think these folks had only the one rebirth is too limiting. I've had several, myself. What about you? Can you count the birth canals?
Even folks we have a most difficult time have had a new birth to get as far along as they have and we pray for more births for them. If we parallel this to forgiveness, as we pray for their rebirth, we pray for our own.
- - -
1 + 1 > 2
my current life plus
plus my rebirthed life
is more than the two
combined
I now also have
an anticipation
of yet another 1
even if I reach
70 * 7
there is more
for there is no end
of toil
of bookmaking
of steadfast love
of rebirthing forgiveness
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html
It is so obvious that six wings divided by twos equals trinity. So we force our concepts into places where they should fear to go.
For the moment, presume Isaiah and the Psalmist are Trinitarians. Note the outcome and who cares about the labeling - freed from guilt/sin blotted out, strengthened people/blessed with peace.
Note the Trinity in the Romans passage: ourselves - G*D - Christ. Now aren't you excited enough to go share a glory of release with those you come in contact with!
- - -
poor Nicodemus
he has lost his metaphorical thinking
and doesn't know where to find it
of childhood he remembers not
only age and size count
that will change, but not yet
flesh gives birth to flesh
spirit to spirit
and both rejoice in each other
where were you born
where will you be born
conceive a womb without walls
life is pregnant with us
should we have eyes to see
and G*D is midwife
so far we are up to 70x7 births
with more to come
for a metaphor never ends
throughout life we play each part
interacting with others
assisting one another's birth process
at the last Nicodemus
finds a 7th next birth
as a bringer of myrrh and aloes
[directly inspired by "God: Beyond the Colouring Book" by Peter Barns]
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html
Hearken back to Genesis 3 with a tempting serpent and Numbers 21 with poisonous serpents and a "fiery"/bronze serpent. Let your imagination flow to see how Jesus takes his baptismal creation as a Beloved and his temptation by "a snake by any other name" and how he finds a redeeming image of his experience as a recapitulation of an adam/eve story through Moses.
In using Moses' experience with a fiery/seraph/bronze serpent (note the change in the charge given to Moses and the way in which he carried it out) Jesus images himself as a wounded healer or icon of sympathetic magic.
Given your life-work of understanding your good creation and ruing your having tossed various parts of it away – sometimes out of a cleverness of entitlement and sometimes to be able to mature to a next level – what image from the wideness and wilderness of your tradition would you hold up to signal redemption?
If you are going to identify with Jesus as a way to draw near to G*D and to transform the world by bringing heaven and earth together, do you identify with the redemption of the serpent image in Genesis - being recreated, forgiven - and what will be your part in enacting such?
It may be that we need to wrestle with this image to better get at its set-up story of night-time rebirth.
- - -
To come at it another way – consider a little jazz
"You and the Night and the Music" [MISSING URLs]
music
lyrics
Can you hear Nicodemus or Jesus singing this song to the other?
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html
Can G*D be revealed except by the intention of said G*D?
Can G*D be accidental?
Consider these questions in light of your own life and see whether or not the add value to you or whether you consider yourself diminished because of their presence.
For the moment we will simply take it as an opening praise or set-up to an intended sharper question to come. Stipulated: Jesus, you are somehow tapping into G*D to be able to do what you have done.
Let's start there, says Jesus. You've glimpsed some surprising actions/responses going on that don't fit in your current picture. To address these we will need to shift perspectives – seen from above there are no boundaries like the ones you perceive while measuring yourself against the past or one another. From above we are also able to consider a future that surprises – like when you finally get one of those Magic Eye things. (Didn't you just know Jesus would know about stereoscopic free-viewing.)
There is usually more available to us than we have yet caught. One of the constant surprises is how universal Love is – how it moves away from suspicion and condemnation toward larger pictures from above – wholeness/perfection/salvation.
In this model a reductionist approach to arrive at a trinity is once again enlarged to some variation of panentheist holism.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html
While glad to see the pericope widened past a John 3:16 be-wigged sign carrier at sporting events, it would be interesting to continue seeing it go to the end of this particular story - all the way to verse 21.
We then get a fuller picture of the give and take of the conversation with Nicodemus that has been condensed to one voice. Try on this dialogue of J(esus) and N(icodemus) and a fulcrum point of choice in verse 15:
10 - J - You don't get it?
11 - N - You don't receive tradition's witness.
12 - J - If you don't accept experience, you won't accept "heaven".
13 - N - You are not a prophet ascended to heaven.
14 - J - I anticipate healing and wholeness to come.
15 - Those who see signs of tomorrow, see me.
16 - N - God loved us enough to Covenant with us.
17 - J - Not to condemn, but to make whole.
18 - N - It is what it is. Covenanted, good; uncovenanted, evil.
19 - J - Privileged perspective is not light.
20 - N - You will be exposed and exiled.
21 - J - It is what it is. Light is light, exiled or not.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/03/john-31-17.html
Loyal Oppositionist, Nicodemus, visits in the night. A conversation ensues.
“We know you teach a way of G*D.”
“In the midst of all the miracles going on, claimed and unclaimed, this is indeed high praise. Y’all must have had a ‘new-birth’ experience to discern this.”
“Did not!”
“Then your praise was false.”
“What?”
“Don’t you know how you give yourself away? How then can you receive a new teaching?”
“Umm.”
“Lord love a duck -- and also you and yours. Remember life is not a zero sum game. Differences are not a reason for condemnation. The goal is health, internals bound to externals. Think about it. We’ll meet again.”
- - -
Of course this is all told in self-referential Johannine-speak. If you were to listen to the wind blowing where it will, you might have heard this shorter version. Is it less inspiring?
If you listened carefully, you might also have heard a non-conditional statement of verses 16 and 17, “G*D loves the world. All are beloved and are to work together to make the world healthy.”
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2012/05/john-31-17.html
There are those who have what feels like an instantaneous conversion. Nicodemus was not one of these. His journey was an evolving one.
Even though we pick up his story in the night, Nicodemus has his eyes wide open to see the terrain of his current life. Signs had been seen and he desired to investigate the signs. In another era we would have called him a scientist. He begins by asking questions based on what is currently known: the birthing process is linear and not reversible.
And a new thought: physical birth is only one kind of birth. We know that we are built from birth to have multiple, if not infinite, births of physical regeneration. There are additional births of stages of life and insight and relationships and so much more that we experience along the journey from a birth to a death. These are as mysterious as a first conception and a first birth.
Questions comes to haunt us. We are all creatures of our time. We do not understand what we have not encountered. We can’t think our way into knowing what we don’t know. We can but be open to hearing the results of other experiments and be ready to test them in our setting.
It is not just a matter of believing what we believe but to live as though we are not condemned to remain at our current level of engagement. Is the present the best that can be imagined and tested? No, we are not condemned to remain in the limits of love we have. We are invited to an expansive and expanding love (universe, if you will).
Nicodemus’ journey has a ways to go in the Christian scriptures and who knows where beyond that, but for now Lent takes on a new level of commitment to be open to what might yet be. Our blessing includes the option to test a new openness, to draw nearer a next dawn.