I recently finished reading Integral Christianity: The Way of Embodied Love, by Roland Michael Stanich. This is a dense book and not an easy read, but the author does a great job of looking at the life and ministry of Jesus through the lens of integral spirituality. He highlights the advanced states of awareness and enlightenment through which Jesus experienced and related to God. He also points out that the highest stage of cultural development in that era was the Blue/Mythic level, and it appears that Jesus evolved through that level and into the yet unknown more advanced perspectives. Our own developmental perspectives, of course, influence the way we understand and interpret the journey of Jesus. The theme throughout this book is the various ways in which Jesus the man came to embody Christ and thus embodied love and moved in love throughout his ministry. We are invited to reflect on this journey, follow in his footsteps and embody love in our own unique ways.
It seems appropriate during this season of lent, to focus on the parts of this book that describe the experiences of Jesus as he was led by the spirit out into the wilderness to fast and pray and do battle with his own particular temptations. Mr. Stanich points out that modern scholarship and the integral perspective reveal that Jesus too developed through states and stages and would have encountered human darkness and shadows in himself and others along the way. The divine spark of illumination was evident in him since childhood but not yet aflame. His time in the wilderness, following his baptism, led to his illumination. But it was also his time of purgation or the emptying and purification of self.
Mr. Stanich points out that the process of purgation was evident from his fasting and from the temptations he encountered. In his temptations and responses, we see his purification, a radical emptying of ego and self, and then an emergent illumination that set the stage for his mission of fearless and ferocious love for all beings. Even for Jesus there was no shortcut; he had to walk through the dark valley to get to the mountain top. The theme of lent is to repent or have a change of consciousness. Through his time in the wilderness Jesus put on the “mind of Christ”, and he emerged from the desert with a profound new vantage point and was empowered for the mission ahead of him.
Following the example of Jesus, we each have plenty of our own work to do and room to grow. Integral psychology shows us how to deal with the areas of our lives where we may be wounded and stuck in denial and repression. Cleaning up involves facing our darkness and fears, opening our inner closet doors and letting the light in. We may need to retreat into introspection, meditation and prayer. Usually healing comes through choosing to forgive ourselves and those who have wounded us. We may need the support and guidance of a trained minister or therapist. Doing this work often leads to new understanding and illumination, and opens new possibilities for connecting with ourselves, others and the Divine.
Jesus had an intimate relationship with Abba/Father, a relationship deeply known from within. He practiced a rhythm of contemplation and action, illumination and embodiment. Practicing the way of embodied love requires courage, compassion, connection, kindness, and integrity. We too are invited to the same experience of God that Jesus had. We too can enter intimately into relationship with God knowing we are God’s beloved. This prepares us for whatever form of service is before us, to love our neighbors as ourselves, whomever they may be.
I end with a quote from this book: We have one precious human life with which to make love real where it counts the most, in the only place and time we’ll ever have. With all your depth and presence, be here now. There are only so many summers, and only so many springs, in which to live as love, before our embodiment is at an end.
Therapy Tip
We sometimes feel ashamed of our imperfections, and we are afraid to reach out for help. But the truth is we are all broken in various ways and at various times. We all have darkness and light within us. And there are plenty of challenges swirling around us in the larger society and in our own lives that lead to feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. Hopefully the story of how even Jesus was led into the wilderness to wrestle with his demons can remove the shame about our human Imperfections and encourage us to follow the path of redemption, healing, and embodiment of love. As I reflect on my own path, I can see areas where my ego needs for affirmation and validation impair my ability to just be who I am and embody my true Self. The journey begins where we are now, in this time and this place.