Living in the Garden of God
"I am the vine," said Jesus, "you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in whom, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. Apart from me, you can do nothing." (John 15:1-17.)
A Course in Miracles talks about living in the garden of God, and its answer: relationships.
"For an unholy relationship is based on differences, where each one thinks the other has what he has not. They come together, each to complete himself and rob the other. They say until they think that there is nothing left to steal, and then move on.... A holy relationship starts from a different premise. Each one has looked within and seen no lack. Accepting his completion, he would extend it by joining with another, whole as himself. He sees no difference between these selves, for differences are only of the body. The Holy Spirit's temple is not a body, but a relationship. In this world, God's Son (you) comes closest to himself in a holy relationship.”
So just how do we live in the garden of God? How do we find a holy relationship?
We don't ask God to change our relationships that aren't working--partners, family, community, we ask God to change our minds. When we are tempted to become disturbed, we absolutely know there's another way of looking at the other person and we say with confidence "Next"! The Christ--the Spirit of God--is the vine; without the Christ we can do nothing.
We surrender all relationships to God by aligning ourselves with the Holy Spirit. How do we know when we're aligned with the Holy Spirit: when everyone in our life can behave in any way they wish and our own inner peace remains unshaken. Unconditional love is what we're talking about.
Thus, we learn from one another! We support one another, we experience God's love, reflecting it and sharing it with one another. Unity of Columbia is a spiritual community where nothing is more important! What keeps people coming to Unity is not that Unity meets your needs, but that here you are seen as whole and complete right now--perfect--loved and loving. Therefore, together we seek to live in and through the Christ Spirit, putting down deep roots, building a firm foundation--in Christ. Friends, the garden of God is in relationships, family, in community, and is nourished forever by the sweet Spirit of the Christ.
A Traditional Prayer for Living in the Garden of God
Holy Spirit, help me come to my senses, help me come down from my fences, open the gate.
Let me know there's a rainbow above me, let me abide in Christ and bear the eternal fruit, the fruit of wholeness, the fruit of joy, the fruit of love.
I commit to joining by offering my fruit to others by offering love, because they are love, by letting someone love me, because I am love.
This new day, I live with wholeness, confidence and love in the garden of God.
Thank you, Holy Spirit. And so it is.
