Fresh Thinking, Inspiration, and Vision on the Process of Spiritual Transformation

What do you see emerging from a spiritual standpoint in this coming year? As I began to think about the new year, I noticed there was something missing. When I considered all the areas of my life, I wasn’t satisfied with what I perceived to be emerging. As I thought more about it, I realized that what was missing as I surveyed what I saw on the horizon for the new year was me—what I have to explore spiritually and bring to the world. It is a natural tendency to look for positive developments around us in the world, through other people or events. But I’ve come to realize that the biggest factor for anyone is what is coming through them to their world.

The most important things aren’t those things that we can see. It is interesting that the one who is doing the observation cannot see him- or herself. From a physical standpoint, we can see our bodies in the mirror. But if you agree that you are not your body, you cannot see yourself and you cannot see what is at a higher level of awareness than you. You cannot see what is within you. But you can welcome it into your experience.

There is a teaching of Jesus that addresses this very point.

The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

…the kingdom of God is within you.  (Luke 17:20,21)

He used that preposition within. I don’t think he meant physically within. You couldn’t find the kingdom of God if you performed a surgical operation. I believe he was pointing to the truth that the causative factor of our experience can’t be found outside of us.

Jesus used that expression “the kingdom of God.” Understanding that the language he used drew upon the social reality of his day, as did the translation of his words, if we were to express these words in modern parlance we might say “the democracy of God,” or “the government of God.” And who is God, if not the Creator of manifest reality? So I do believe that what is being said is that the external reality in which we live—the people and the world around us—is not the primary factor governing what is created in our experience. You cannot observe the primary factor. It is you and what is within you, and you cannot see yourself or what is within you. Nonetheless, you can be present and bring all that is within you online in your creation.

It is so easy to look to the factors that are around, to look at world trends, astrological factors and the Mayan calendar, and to see those things as determining what is going to happen. But the Creator is within you, and your world is being created from within, out.

Jesus goes on to speak of the Son of man. While the Son of man is often thought of as relating to Jesus himself, I suggest that he was speaking about humanity as we let what is within come through. The Divine comes through, from within, as us. So thinking of this coming year, the most relevant event is us and what comes forth from within us, the Son of man. We have the potential to be the Son of man. We have the potential to be what is happening to our world, not just looking out in our world and trying to figure out what’s going to happen to us in the coming year. We have the opportunity to happen to our world and bring the qualities of the Divine.

If you would like to share your vision of what you see emerging from a spiritual standpoint in this coming year, send us an e-mail at . We will post some of what we receive on our Pulse of Spirit web page.

Blessing to you and your world in the new year!