Everybody must get … pickled

C'mon in, the vinegar is fine

Photo by KTRYNA on Unsplash

"Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of (or teach) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.'"  Matthew 28:18-20

This passage was prominent in my Southern Baptist upbringing. As a Christian, you were expected to go out and evangelize the world, to convert them to Christ – or better yet, a Southern Baptist. You were supposed to keep a tally of how many souls you personally had "saved."

When we read this passage in context, though, it can't possibly mean that our mission in life is to go out and create more "Christians." There were no "Christians" in Jesus' time. He was not out to convert anyone to any form of organized religion. Just the opposite, in fact. Jesus' gig was to help us remember who we truly are – we are that light of change – we are all innocent, beloved Children of God who are created in light, love, peace, and joy.

If we delve into the specific words of this passage, its command to us becomes clear – we are to recognize our own light – our own Divine Joy – because doing so will help others recognize their own Divine Light and Joy. We are not here to simply awaken ourselves – but to awaken the whole world.

Let's look more closely at the phrase: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." This passage has been used to justify Christianizing the entire world – sending missionaries to countries to convert them from their "barbaric" beliefs (often as a cover for colonization). This is not what Jesus is saying.

The word for "disciple" here, as the King James Version says, is simply "teach." It's not about converting anyone to anything. What Jesus is asking us to do here is to teach Joy, because as A Course in Miracles reminds us in Chapter 5, we all have a Call to Joy within us, placed there by the Holy. "This Call is so strong that the ego always dissolves at Its sound. That is why you must choose to hear one of two voices within you. One you made yourself, and that one is not of God. But the other is given you by God, Who asks you only to listen to it."

When we listen to the Call to Joy, we begin to embody it in such a way that it helps others see that they, too, have this Call to Joy within them – just waiting to be recognized and heard. By displaying our own willingness to answer God's Call for Joy within ourselves, our ego dissolves and we become that light of change. Others will see our Joy and remember their own.

Ah, but, A Course tells us in Chapter 10 that even though we all possess the Great Rays of God's Divine Light – there remains only a spark of this knowledge within many people. Those our egos judge as greedy, recalcitrant, obstreperous, or downright evil all still have that spark, though their "Great Rays" of Divine Light may be obscured.

If we become willing to see the spark of God's Great Rays, even within the blackest souls we may perceive, and we put all our faith in that spark, God will answer us, A Course says. In that answer, we will be provided the power we need to see and reach even the dimmest spark around us and help them remember the truth about themselves so they can reignite the Great Rays that already shine within them.

This is why Jesus' command to "baptize" those we meet is so important. That word, in Greek – baptizo – can mean what we're familiar with – the immersion of our bodies in water to signify our cleansing of the ego and a rebirth into spirit life. That word, though, also means "to overwhelm." This means, we truly baptize others when we so overwhelm them with God's light of love that they have no choice but to finally see that spark of love, joy and innocence that is within them.

This is not a wishy-washy kind of love – but a fierce love that does not wither in the face of violence, greed, hatred, division, tribalism, political differences or willing ignorance. Instead, this is a persistent, overwhelming kind of love that sees through the egos of everyone around us, penetrating their true heart of innocence.

The Blue Letter Bible notes that, "The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped' (bapto) into boiling water and then 'baptized' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptizing the vegetable, produces a permanent change."

This is what we're called to do in this world – to be willing to be so fully baptized in God's Call for Joy that we are pickled, or permanently changed. As pickles for God – we are then made willing to be so overwhelming in our Love and Joy that others are moved to get out of the boiling water of ego and into that Holy vinegar solution where they, too, are permanently changed.

Before we get pickled in the Spirit, though, the first step is willingness. Are you willing to get out of the ego's boiling water that keeps you forever seeking relief from its relentless roiling? Are you tired of being boiled alive by your ego's demands that you follow this desire or avoid that desire all in the name of finding some peace and joy in life? Are you tired of seeking lasting joy and never finding it through the ego's ideas and schemes?

If so, it's time to become willing to be immersed in that Holy pickling juice that changes your life forever. When we are willing to be overcome by God's Call for Joy in our lives and we allow it to wash over us and change not just our minds, but our souls, then we will always find a joy that lasts forever and is never diminished by anything outside of ourselves.

In fact, the events of the world will not overwhelm us. Instead, they will make us more determined to teach everyone in the world about the light we have seen – not just in ourselves – but within everyone. This transformation gives us new eyes, so instead of seeing recalcitrant, greedy, awful people in the world – all we now behold are innocent children of God caught up in the ego's deadly game of seek but do not find. Our hearts are broken open by this sight and all we want to do is overwhelm them – baptize them – in the light of Spirit that we see, ever how dimly, shining within them.

We all have this spark, this Call to Joy within. I invite you, choose to listen only to that voice. As you discover the spark of that light of change within yourself and you allow it to shine brightly in the world – others will see their spark and they, too, will become willing to leap from the boiling water of ego into that Divine pickling juice. Together then, we will all be permanently changed – pickled, even.

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Want to learn more about A Course in Miracles?

Jubilee! Circle hosts an informal discussion group about A Course in Miracles every Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. If you’re in the Columbia, SC area, you can join us in-person at 6729 Two Notch Road, Ste. 70 in Columbia. If you’re anywhere else in the world, join us by Zoom using the link below. Whether you’re new to ACIM, or have been studying it for years, this is a low-pressure, friendly environment to learn more and grow together! Join us:

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86088245457?pwd=bWd6QzhscGlUYnFnYUU1dy9uTUVMZz09

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About the Motley Mystic:

The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth, because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true, Divine Self.

Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover.