All In All

When I say Christ, I do not mean simply this separate individual, Jesus of Nazareth who is also God.  That seems to be a common view by believers.  In that view, dualistic, Jesus does things that save us from our wreckage.  My view, though not mine alone, is that Jesus being God Incarnate, God in the flesh, takes on all humanity.  Jesus is not simply a separate person, but a way for God to enter into the human condition of flesh and blood, and take upon God's self, all of us.  "Christ is all in all," is the phrase from scripture.  In this view, Jesus does not simply die on the cross to save us, while we watch.  Unless we resist, that is the realm of sin, we too are in this process which leads to our transformation.  The human condition that leads to becoming all God made us to be, transformation, is lived out in Jesus' life.  We experience, in Jesus, the notion of "God why have you forsaken me."  We are shown that this is followed by "Into your hands I commend my spirit."  Our life in Christ is to suffer abandonment and surrender in trust, rather than to complain about how God abandoned me.  When Jesus eats with all kinds of people and challenges the religious officials tied into their power, rules and regulations, he suffers their rejection.  This is the human condition.  We live in a world of separation, class systems, and prejudice.  If you break out of that, you will find rejection from some group for your actions.  His whole life is our life lived at the potential best we can be, such as love for all people, regardless of their situation relative to ours.  To reject this way of life is to say, 'No thank you.  I have other plans."