## Participation in Reconciliation We have followed our bliss through the [[Via Positiva]], emptied ourselves in the [[Via Negativa]]; we have learned to trust the images of our faith in the [[Via Creativa]], and now enlivened- we model rebirth in the via Transformativa. > “For it pleased the Father that in (Christ Jesus) should all fullness dwell (via positiva); And, having made peace through the blood of his cross ([[Via Negativa]]), by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven ([[Via Creativa]]). > > ”And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; > > ”Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily (via Transformativa).” > > — Col 1:19-29 Paul gives us a great overview of the Life and Work of Christ.  The [[Word of God|Dabhar]], the Logos, the Word and Creative Energy of God incarnated into the world, teaching us that Creation is a blessing, that we must savor that blessing, be humble, open to all, with a true entrusting of God, who is in all things as all things are in God so we might be holy ([[Via Positiva]]).  He, then, poured himself out on the Cross so we might be united to each other and to God as he is united in us and God ([[Via Negativa]]). Through our faith and emptying of self, we are reconciled to God, our Mother and Child, to live as the Images of God we were always meant to be, bringing the Work of God Alive in ourselves and in the world ([[Via Creativa]]). The church is the body of Christ.  We carry on the Ministry of Christ through the power of the spirit of Christ in the unity of the fullness found only in Christ.  In everything that we do, we must strive to live as Christ, to suffer with Christ's dignity, and to ever exhibit the signs of our own rebirth through his resurrection, continuing his ministry:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19) (Via Transformativa)." As Paul said, in verse 24 above, "We fill up that which is lacking in the afflictions of Christ."  We do not do this through the preciousness of our own sacrifice.  As the body of Christ suffers, that suffering is united with that of our Lord upon the cross.  While there is suffering in the world, Christ suffers on the cross for us all.  While there is glory in the world, Christ is resurrected to live in us all.  Every child born as Christ in the manger, and every dark night is Maundy Thursday. Through this mysterious participation with Christ, we walk the via Transformativa. ## The Work of Tikkun Through our own ignorance and inability to perceive the cosmos as it is, we experience the world as broken, as fallen.  This is a problem, born out of our perceptions and assumptions that a perfect world, must be free from suffering, and free from strife.  We choose to see the world as other than it is.  The world is perfect, it is barely ordered chaos.  We have chosen to see the world in terms of good and evil, rather than as we should: through eyes of justice. > “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. > > ”For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teaches, on teaching; Or he that exhorts, on exhortation: he that gives, let him do it with simplicity; he that rules, with diligence; he that shews mercy, with cheerfulness. > > ”Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. > > ”Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” > > — Rom 12:1-21 ## Restoration of Believers > “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. > > ”Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. > > ”Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which has called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be you holy; for I am holy. > > ”And if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. > > ”Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away: But the word of the Lord endures for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” > > — 1 Pet 1:3-25 ## Restoration of the Cosmos We are the voice of the earth, the eyes of the earth, the heart and soul of the earth.  Our ancestors rose from the very dirt of the earth.  They struggled to find harmony and balance with the world around them.  Then the world was a much more hostile place, but now the tide has turned.  Bearing in mind that our kind rose out of the earth, enlivened by the spirit of God to tend the soil and protect the weak, it is our duty and responsibility to leave the world a better place for the generation to come after us.  We must weigh all of our decisions carefully, asking ourselves: "how will this affect our great, great grandchildren?" > “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” > > — Rom 8:20-25 We must live out our faith that only in the churches, or in our workplaces, or even in the society at large.  Our greater obligation is to the world that God is in trusts us with.  It is easy to pretend that we live out the promises of Christ to other people, but only preservation and righteous actions can fulfill our obligation to nature.  We cannot fake these actions.  They are evidence for all to see. ## Fullness of God/Fullness of Christ It is easy for us to become so involved in the mysticism of the Fullness of the Godhead.  Remember always, all that is above is mirrored below.  In Meditation and prayer, we contemplate the Fullness of the Godhead, and we should not forget that the church itself is the Fullness of Christ. > For Christ, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself: That in the dispensation (administration) of the fullness of times (Pleroma of due measure) he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ (Eph 1:7-12)." All things should be seen as they are, gathered as one in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Any injustice that we do to another, or to the environment itself, we do, unto Christ who has gathered all things unto himself. Justice is Praise ## Where can God be found? > “In the Via Transformativa. In the relief of suffering, in the combating of injustice, in the struggle for homeostasis, for balance in society and history, and in the celebration that happens when persons struggling for justice and trying to live in mutuality come together to praise and give thanks for the gift of being and being together. This is Path Four (Matthew Fox, Creation Spirituality, p 18).” ## The Wisdom of Justice In Proverbs 1:2-7, we are taught the four pillars of wisdom.  In the Via Transformativa, we build up the pillar of Justice (Mishpat).  Mishpat means "judgment, justice, ordinance judgment; act of deciding a case (The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon)."  ## In the Ministry The Via Transformativa is the Way of the [[Pastor]]/Teacher.  A Pastor shepherds the faithful, guiding the flock of Christ gently.  As Teachers, they instruct the faithful into the mysteries of the faith (Eph 4:11-13). ## Symbolism During his life, Father Abraham built 4 altars.  Each one represented a phase of his life.  In the Via Tranformativa, we visit the Altar of the God who Provides (HaShem Yireh) at the mountain chosen by HaShem from Genesis 22:1, 2, 9, 14. The Winged Lion represents the Gospel of Mark, who focused on the Via Transformativa through the Divine Kingdom of Zion and Jesus Christ our King.