Chapter 16: Inner Teaching of Judaism: The Kabbalah

My soul sings, it soars! The coming of Jesus has opened paths for me to the realm of God. These days, I live life on two planes–the everyday of the body, the person of Ellen, and then the other plane, which I call the time set aside for the nourishment of my soul, a period spent in the spiritual realm of God, a domain I have come to recognize as being good. I am able to experience the peace and joy only God can give. The passage of time also lends me the perception of a state of order within me, one which allows a fusion with God, a foretaste of eternal union with Him.

In meditating upon that unity and also focusing on the state of my broken and imperfect body, I am able to understand a truth which in the past appeared contradictory to me. I have often wondered how it was that God, who is perfect, changeless and whole, can have as counterparts, as constituents, we human beings who are imperfect and forever changing.

By way of analogy, in focusing on my broken, altered body, I have discovered my answer. In spite of the state of my body, I am still me; the very essence, that which makes me who and what I am is still intact. So it is with God. His Essence, the whole of His Being in the world and the universe is intact. Even though His Body is filled with us, the imperfect parts, we do not take away or lessen His Infallible Perfection. We are parts of His Body, and contained within us are our souls and our capacity for perfection, which assists us in our journey toward eternal inclusion.

The experience of temporary union with God has led me to see that, in each age of time, man continues to strive toward such an end. And, wonder of wonders, the opportunity to attain such a union is available to all of God’s children. They need only enter through the gate that is Jesus, and in turn they will come to experience the positive effects of that entrance and that unified meeting of God’s peace and joy.

As Jesus said in John 10:14, “I Am the Good Shepherd, I know My Own and My Own know Me.” Upon hearing His Word and coming to know Him through the power of His Holy Spirit, we will naturally respond, and be drawn toward the object of our search, Who is God. This union results in an intuitive knowing, rooted in the very core of our being, our souls. In biblical language, this “knowing” is not merely the conclusion of an intellectual process but is the fruit of an experience of personal contact.

And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; then too all the peoples of the Earth will beat their breasts; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet to gather His chosen from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew 24:30-31).

Lord, my very being is overcome with love for You, so much so that at times I am led to wonder, for I am unable to fathom the depth of my love. This I know for certain–I do desire You. Everything in the world has meaning, but only inasmuch as it affects my relationship with You. The very prospect of that union, even though it is but a sneak preview of what it will be for all of eternity, I am filled with joy. Lord, suddenly life on Earth seems like a vacation, only an unwilling one, a stay away from Home, from You.

That stay away from Home, from God, could be compared to the separation we sometimes experience in a physical marriage which is rooted in love. Anticipation of being apart brings about a sadness; a sense of loss and loneliness is experienced. So it is with God, He who is seen as our Reason for living, even the thought of separation ushers in utter desolation, a sense of life having no purpose.

Whereas in relationship with God, life becomes more than a mere short span of time on Earth. Instead it is seen as an all important time, one having purpose beyond the moment, the obvious day-to-day living. In reality, it is a time of preparation to become the Bride of Jesus, to be taken Home for all eternity to God Our Father. Consequently, we can call out to Him, as we read in Revelations 22:17, “The Spirit and the bride say, come.” Yes, Lord Jesus, we await Your coming to take us home. The Bride, the Church, the People of God, each and every one of us say, “Come, Jesus, we long for You, we desire eternal union with the Father through and in you.”