The Pagan Christ

Have you read The Pagan Christ written by Tom Harpur?

It's a lovely book that discusses what is really in historical tracts and makes a case that the story of Jesus is a metaphor, not reality, and would, in fact, be more transforming if we accepted it as metaphor instead of reality.

Regardless if whether Christ was a real person, or is a metaphor trying to show us that God is within us and that God has manifested in man as opposed to as one man, I know The Christ Within exists.

Years ago I spent a great deal of time in meditation and prayer and had some remarkable dreams.

Each one gave me a link to the real world. In other words, something from the dream would show up in my real life the next day, "proving" to me that the dream had been "real" and God had communicated something profound to me.

In one of these dreams I experienced the love of "The Christ Within."

It was the most amazing feeling I've ever had and defies description.

All I can tell you is that there is, truly, no judgment, no agenda, no holding back of God's love for us. All our "faults," although surely known, cannot be perceived and become irrelevant in the Presence of that great love.

If I hadn't experienced it myself, I wouldn't have understood how it could be possible, it would only be rhetoric.

In the presence of that love, it would be impossible to do harm.

I believe we are meant to strive to love ourselves as God loves us.

It may not be possible on this earth, but the closer we get, surely the less harm we can do.

This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in all knowledge and judgment. Philippians 1:9

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear. John 4:18

If someone says "I love God" but hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he has not seen? John 4:20

---

Of note, I wrote this blog as a draft on Wednesday, November sixteenth. My husband and I went out for a walk and coffee around 5:30 p.m. En route we ran into a friend who advised us that he was going to hear Tom Harpur speak at 7:30.

Now, my copy of The Pagan Christ has about forty little tabs in it, marking pages, and is full of yellow highlights of what I consider significant passages.

A splendidly written and scholarly work that examines the historical evidence as to whether Jesus was an actual person, I believe it is essential reading for anyone who really wants his or her faith to be an active force in creating peace in the world today.

There are researchers such as Gerald Massey and Professor Alvin Boyd Kuhn, Ph.D. whose works I have intended to get my hands on and read as a result of Tom Harpur's book.

In short, I have, what I feel is an ongoing relationship with this book, if that is not too dramatic a way of putting it.

So imagine my delight and enthusiasm to find that I could hear a lecture by the author, get to meet him and have my copy signed?

I went and was reminded of how important it is to get Mr. Harpur's message out.

But isn't it amazing that I would "feel" like going out for a walk and coffee, "run into" someone who "just happened" to be going to see Tom Harpur and that it was just early enough for me to go, buy a ticket and attend?

Had we gone for coffee five minutes earlier or later, we would have never connected with my husband's acquaintance and I would have missed seeing and hearing Tom Harpur.

There are no accidents. If I had not written about Tom Harpur's book yesterday, he would not have been on my mind. If he had not been on my mind, I would not have mentioned him "out of the blue" when I met this person on our walk and he, in turn, would not have told us about the lecture.

So I am telling you why I think I was guided to go.

I need to tell you: get a copy of the book. If your faith in God is ailing, it will restore it. If you have rejected the idea of Christ because it makes no sense to you, Tom will explain it to you so it does.

His book is a gift to Christians and Christianity and, indeed, the entire world because it reframes Christ in an incredible way.

God is amazing. We are so blessed.

Blessed are ye. Matthew 5:11