Understanding our Divinity: 5 Acts of Empowerment via the Christ Path

Growing up a Roman Catholic in the 60s, I recall priests and nuns cajoling in my aunt’s living room, sipping whiskey sours and extolling the negative virtues of non-compliant churchgoers. Like so many Catholics, I went through the motions and somewhere in my late adolescence convinced my mother to skip Sunday mass. Little did I know that the spiritual path ahead of me was to be filled with discovery, wonder and greater understanding.

Fast forward where there was a complete abandon of my religious training and connection to Christ or any other enlightened prophet. Yet, through very challenging times, one prevalent theme echoed within: ‘the living body of Christ.’ Sure, I had grown up with the ‘body of Christ’ transfigured into the communion wafer offered during the mass, but what did it all mean?

It was not until facing my own alcoholism and addiction that clarity was found. The message resonates boldly today. The ‘living body of Christ’ is all of us, individually and collectively. Furthermore, when a person acts out of unconditional love, charity and compassion, whether claiming to be a Christian or not, walks as Christ. Christianity calls us to our own divinity. Yes, living in the essence of Christ’s actual example opens the door to our own divinity. We are the light that the world needs to see. Only light can cast a shadow in the darkness.

The Christ of my understanding was not only prophetic, but also a man of action. This same quality of action empowers us today, whether Christian or not. We are born into this life, innocent and imbued with divine sacredness and love. The seed of divinity resides within each of us, waiting to be manifest.

5 acts of empowerment exemplified in the Christ path:

1.  Christ was a social justice advocate. Are you?

Our Declaration of Independence states, “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” When we see injustice, do we stand against it? Are we living true to the Christ path in demanding justice for those of color, of poverty, of challenging circumstances and even our enemies? Do we simply watch Ferguson, Charleston, Staten Island, Baltimore, and so many other areas of our world, and choose to do nothing. What would Christ do in these examples of injustice, hatred and prejudice?

2.  Christ honored women as equals. Do you?

Implicit in the teachings of Christ is the balance between masculine and feminine divine energies. Subjugation of women, with a documented history predating Christ by several millennia, continues unabated in our country and around the globe. Men, are you living true to your divinity and the Christ path in supporting, advocating and living true to the essential balance of divine energies? Women, are you accepting this path and living true to your own potential?

3.  Christ died to forgive the collective sins of the past. Do you  forgive?

It’s easy to harbor ill feelings, but where does this toxic internal energy go? It turns into disease, anxiety, addiction and mental illness, all darkening the soul. Do you have someone to forgive? Perhaps, the most important person to forgive is YOU. The Christ path already forgave us. 

4.  Christ path is a gateway to our divinity. Are you searching for something?

Our world has become intensely complex. So many of us have a knot in the center of our being, gnawing at us to find the right path, the right door, the right job, the right partner. Christ is a way-shower for us to embody more of our innate divinity as we co-create a more just and compassionate world. The secret is: It’s an inside job.

5.  Christ path is not killing. Do you use words to kill others?

Despite a history replete with killings in the name of God, not just perpetrated by Christians, the essence of Christ is love, not killing. And brutality is not just measured by physically killing another but includes slander, verbal abuse, violent language, hatred, self-righteousness and arrogance. What words do you choose? Are your thoughts, choices and actions aligned to love, compassion and understanding?

The Christ path is an empowerment of our own divinity and a reminder to WAKE-UP!