According to the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus in the gospel lesson today, the mystery of being born again seems to be decoded! Look, being born again is not a physiological event so no mother should suffer for 9 months. It’s rather simple that one is to be born from above, born of the Spirit. Wait, didn’t we just say the mystery of being born again is decoded? What does being born from above or born of the Spirit mean? Jesus’ response to Nicodemus’ question complicates the issue more. It may be worse that this being born again becomes more confusing and seems to go nowhere.
But don’t rush yourself to be disappointed with Jesus. He’s a good friend! He not only gives a fantastic clue to this mystery of being born again but also unpacks more about his gospel message about the kingdom of God. For these two reasons, today’s gospel lesson is an excellent guideline to deepen our spiritual practice of contemplation. (You might be saying, “This guy again talks about meditation!”) Please kindly bear with me and hear me out! Let’s talk about Jesus’ clue to decipher the mystery or myth (?!) of being born again. His answer to this subject matter is straightforward. To be born again is to be born from above and of the Spirit. Our question is then what it means to be born from above or born of the Spirit. This expression or phenomenon of being born from above becomes a problem when we cannot answer for ourselves and others when asked and also when we don’t know what that really is. When we aren’t so certain about whether we’re born of the Spirit or not, how can we share and live the gospel of Jesus? You can’t without having a first-hand experience for yourself. But again, don’t rush to be disappointed with yourself. You got me. I can be a good friend at times! I can help you remind you of your own experience of being born from above with the clue our wonderful friend Jesus provides in the gospel lesson. But I need to retranslate this clue for us to have a better understanding of what he means by being born of the Spirit. Let’s look at John 3:8: “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” I will retranslate this in a much more literal way: “The Spirit breathes where she wants, and you hear the voice of hers, but you do not know where she comes from and where she goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” The Spirit breathes into you which is where she wants. You can listen to the breath that is coming in and going out though you have no idea where she originates. This is the breath that the Spirit is breathing into you. Close your eyes right now and listen to the sound of the breath. Listen again until that mere sound of your breath becomes the voice of the Spirit. To listen well to that very silent voice, it’s always good to find a quiet place. The more you try to pay attention and listen more to the voice of the Spirit, the more you become alert and heedful of the presence of God. Being fully mindful of the breath that the Spirit is breathing into you is to be born of the Spirit. Jesus is indeed right to say no one can see or enter the kingdom of God unless one is born of the Spirit. We enter into the presence of God as we become aware of the breath of God who is entering us. The presence of God enters us through our breath. Breath is not the air simply inhaling and exhaling but the presence of God breathing in and out. Those who are aware of the breath energy of the Spirit are truly born from above, born of the Spirit. This process of listening to the sound also purifies our unskillful intentions and desires that lead to unskillful actions that harm ourselves and others or at least get in the way of true happiness and joy in life. We want to call these unskillful intentions and desires those being born of the flesh while those skillful intentions and desires are born of the Spirit. At this point, I want to ask you if you are certain that you’re born of the Spirit. Are you born from above? If you’re still not confident to say yes, I will say it on your behalf and take your “yes” from me when you’re ready. But for you to take it back, you will need to sit down in quietude and try to experience it yourself. As you try, may the breath of the Spirit that enters into your heart be experienced as the love that God has shown the world through Jesus’ teaching and wisdom. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16) |
Paul"...life up your love to that cloud [of unknowing]...let God draw your love up to that cloud...through the help of his grace, to forget every other thing." Archives
January 2025
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