Eternal Life Part 1

Jesus is asked: "Good master what must I do to gain eternal life?" Jesus answers that the questioner lacks one thing and that is to give away all he has and follow Jesus.

Much of what passes for an interpretation of Jesus' answer in our churches is that one goes through certain rituals and practices and  gives a healthy chunk to the church and God says "Good boy or girl!", pats them on the head and rewards them with golden gates after death.

But eternal life is not a reward but a habit of living in the light of the eternal in this world- it is a question of vision and walking and working in the vision. This morning I walked down to the ocean in the pre-dawn hours trying to work out problems in my head about the choices I needed to make in my work. As I approached the beach I felt the thunder of the waves that signaled the rainstorm last night was now out at sea and churning the waves. I realized that all of my thoughts had been about what I needed to do to make an institution run right instead of looking with the light of the eternal in dealing with the storms of my own making that are only passing through.

It hit me that as I started singing parts of the old hymn Jerusalem that William Blake, who wrote the original poem from which the hymn is based, was facing the same dilemma of how to deal with modern problems.

 And did those feet in ancient time.
Walk upon Englands mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In Englands green & pleasant Land

Blake writes his poetry in an England going through the Industrial revolutions -- think of the pageant put on during the opening of last Olympics in London where the "green and pleasant land" is destroyed by "these dark satanic mills" with Parry's music to the hymn is played in the background while Kenneth Branagh quotes from Richard II about the "demi-paradise".

Some people have suggested that the "dark satanic mills " might refer to churches rather than industry and at times I can agree with that assessment and we churn out nostalgia and rules rather than a new vision where lives are changed when  prayer for "O clouds, unfold!" and we live in the light and life of the eternal.

Blake's  The Angel of the Revelation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerusalem Hymn

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountain green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.