God created creation. God abides within creation, and God acts within creation, sustaining all that is, including you and me. Human history, however, is another thing altogether. God can only act in our collective and individual lives to the extent that we give our consent, decide for the good, and choose the path of love. Without love’s warmth and light, our lives remain a cold and dark prison. The good news is that over two thousand years ago a young Jewish girl dared to say yes to God’s overture, and the fruit of her daring gamble was the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
The name Jesus literally means, “God saves.” Mary’s complete and total openness allowed the full force of God’s love, wisdom, and grace to enter into the human condition, not to judge it, but to elevate it. Simply, God became human so that we humans could live a divine life, not in a future heaven, but here and now. Yogananda’s term for this divine life is “Christ Consciousness…the consciousness of God immanent in all creation.” We avail ourselves of the grace of Christ Consciousness in and through the loving expansion of our hearts. In this spirit, Yogananda tells us, “When you begin to feel the sensations of others as though they were happening in your own body, you are developing that Christ Consciousness.”
Divine Beloved,
Each day, you ask me,
“Will you surrender?”
Even as you patiently wait for my consent.
