Heart of Matter: The Mind of Christ

5 Comments

1. John O'Donnell on February 17, 2023 at 1:39 am

   I’m very impressed just now, as I’m reading James Alison’s book, ‘Knowing Jesus’. He helps me to understand that ‘the mind of Christ’ is Jesus’s gift to his apostles and through them to the whole world, as what he calls the ‘intelligence of the risen, or universal Victim’ – in other words, Christ’s own brilliant understanding of the meaning of his death and resurrection which replaced the confusion of his followers showing them God’s covenanted plan for humanity, first through the chosen people of old; then through us, his own followers – a plan to eliminate discrimination and victim-hood in our world and all this implies. Alison shows how this meaning was made deeply available in Christ’s adaptation of the Passover ritual of the last supper, linking the meaning of suffering for the Jews (and us) to his own passion, death and resurrection. All of this understanding was recorded in the new testament, written well after these events, in the enlightenment of the gift to them of His own mind, His knowledge, insight and intelligence as the universal Victim. We,too, need this gift to give meaning to our life and our relationships, personal and social.

   
   
   
2. Joe Masterleo on February 16, 2023 at 8:10 am

   There is in every dispute or conflict a place of agreement or resolution. But only if one looks for it, instead of taking sides. There are no “sides” in unitive consciousness (the Christ mind), just facets of a whole as the Creator made and sees them, oriented to a center like spokes to a hub. “Sides” are an illusion created by separation conscious (dualistic thinking) that hasn’t yet risen above a fragmented view of things to see in wholes, finding common ground among all that only appears segmented. Those embracing a sense of selfhood apart from God, likewise, see all things apart from God, and so are deceived, out of touch with reality as it is, a prisoner of lower order perceptions and thoughts, those “not subject to the law of God” (Rm. 8:7). Schizophrenia can be defined as “a disturbance in perception, language, and thought.” As a mental disorder, it is a culture of one in the worst sense, an inability to see the big picture, eclipsed by distorted views of reality and the whole. Likewise, dualistic thinking is a form of spiritual madness, a schizoid perceptual disorder that cannot see or value (love) anything beyond its insular self, a WMD (weapon of mass distraction) of the most troublesome kind. To see, think and love as God does, we must exchange our divided mind for his whole-seeing one. Said Jesus, “I am he that exists from the undivided” (Gospel of Thomas, saying 60).

   
   
   
3. Gillian on February 15, 2023 at 6:07 pm

   this looks a beautiful book, but I cannot buy it because it is apparently only purchasable in the US? I live in Canada. when will it be available? I do not want to pay in $US

   
   
   
   • Info on February 15, 2023 at 7:13 pm

     Hi Gillian, You should be able to buy ‘Making All Things New’ through Amazon at CAD prices. Hope that helps. Peace and all good.

     
     
     
4. Annmary on February 14, 2023 at 6:41 pm

   Very challenging