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Post by Rogier van Vlissingen on Apr 8, 2007 20:03:44 GMT -5
P/GoTh:
quote Fortnunate are the poor, for yours is the Father's Kingdom. unquote
Form: Pursah drops the "Jesus said," as per usual, and chooses to be more direct about whose kingdom we're talking about, not just heaven, but 'the Father's.'
Content: It has been a perennial favorite in Christianity to distort statements along these lines by taking them literally, which has helped no end traditionally to make Christianity popular as a state religion, serving as it did to keep impoverished citizens in good spirits by promising a better life in heaven, in a distant future. Again, on p. 79 of DU Pursah specifically warns against taking this literally, but instead this speaks of mental attachments. Adding that If we believe that we hve to give something up, we're making it just as real as if we covet it.
Contrary to that Jesus' meaning of course is that which is referred to in the Course as: "Forget this world, forget this course, and come with wholly empty hands unto your God." (ACIM:W-189.7:5) In other words it is the letting go of our investments in the world, i.e. our choice for the ego, which is our salvation, and it is now, not later. The time involved in our experience is whatever time we need to lay down our ego-defenses against the truth, for the path in truth is a "journey without distance, to a goal that has never changed." (ACIM-T-8.VI.9:7) Poor in that sense means free of attachements to the (scarcity of the) ego world, so that we have our hands free to accept the abundance of spirit which our true home in Heaven offers us.
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