Week 36—Tuesday Ephesians 2:19-22
Ephesians 2:19-22
NOT FIND AN ANSWER BUT BE THE ANSWER
In a conference the participants confer together to get verbal answers to verbal questions—it is the Word become word. Resolutions are drawn up telling what is wrong with people and things, and they go away complacent but not converted. In a retreat someone speaks and in the light of what is said one cultivates one’s spiritual life, but there is no attempt on the part of the group to be the Word of the Kingdom become flesh in the group. So the Christian Ashram is not a conference or a retreat—it is an attempt not to find an answer, but to be the answer—the Word of the Kingdom become flesh, a Kingdom in miniature. Imperfectly, of course, for it is made up of very imperfect people, but in some real way the New Order realized. Universalize this and you have the answer.
But if this is done, we have to get down barriers. The kingdom of God, which is God’s redemptive invasion of us, would invade us, but we put up barriers. So we get down barriers. First, the barriers of race and class. We believe the Kingdom is blind to class and race—it sees a person as a person for whom Christ died. So a motto on our Sat Tal Ashram walls says, “Leave behind all race and class distinctions ye that enter here.” Second, we get down barriers between those who have titles and those who do not have titles—titles divide. So we lay aside all titles—there are no more bishops, doctors, reverends, judges, just “Brother Stanley” and “Sister Lila.” This has a psychological leveling effect. It is not easy to be high and mighty when you are called by your first name. And the term “Brother” and “Sister” denote that we are “a Family of God.” As a Hindu member of the Ashram said, “Since there are both sexes here, this term Brother and Sister has an antiseptic influence upon our relationships.” One of the mottoes on the wall says, “This is a place of freedom through discipline.” The sexes have found their freedom through their discipline. We have never had any problems in this regard.
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, help me this day to find my freedom through my inner disciplines. I shall love you supremely and love others subordinately. All my loves shall obey and fit into my love to you. In your name. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: May all my outer restraints move within and become inner restraints.