Original Blessing

Ephesians 2:1-10

         You were dead through the trespasses and sins ²in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. ³All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us ⁵even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ^*—by grace you have been saved— ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— ⁹not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

          Many years ago when i just started to walk the labyrinth as a form of prayer I had an extraordinary experience. On the advice of a spiritual director, I did a personal regression. I entered at the present and walked back, stopping at prescribed intervals to recall past events or revelations. As I approached the center of the labyrinth I got younger and younger and I was in touch with feelings I had not recalled in decades. I had revelations about myself and my family that I could never have imagined. The goal was to attempt to enter the center of the labyrinth at the time God conceived me in His mind, that is, before I was conceived by my parents. When I reahed the center I was frozen solid as I felt I was in the presence of God. It was an incredible experience which started to make me gasp for air, shiver and eventually I had to stagger off the labyrinth. 

           To know that God conceived you as the individual person that you are is to know how loved you are, how special and unique you are and that you were purpose built, even if it takes you years or a lifetime to figure out what that is. This is a gift of immeasurable proportions. It is noted in this reading.

          You have been saved , not by your deeds or anything you have done or accomplished. You are saved as a gift as a part of your personal gift of creation. It reminds me of a terribly unorthodox book by an ex-Catholic priest called Original Blessing. Were we actually created with an Original Sin? Perhaps we were created fresh new and glorious right out of the box so to speak.

           The reading also quite clearly states that 'we are what he has made us'.  We are not to be who we are not. Be true to ourselves, to what God created us to be. We are not all created the same. We are myriad gifts, types and colors, we all reflect God's goodness and diversity like the many facets of a diamond.

            Be true to who you are, know that you are loved and salvation is yours!