The story of
Joseph and his brothers reveals an amazing twist in a plot: Joseph’s brothers hated
him so much that they sold him into slavery, Joseph then became an adviser to the
Egyptian Pharaoh, and then when famine came upon the Jewish people, his brothers
went to Joseph begging for food. Joseph forgave his brothers, saying: “As for
you, you meant it for evil against me; but God meant it for good…” (Genesis
50:20).
One lesson
we might take from this wonderful story is to reframe the problem: Every evil that does not kill me can be
turned into good by God! As Jesus said in the Gospel of Thomas: “Fortunate are you when you are hated and
persecuted…you are the ones who have truly come to know the Father” (Sayings
68, 69).
Life forms are relatively fragile and hence we experience suffering. As beings we experience a hierarchy of needs. Like a pyramid, the most basic needs at the bottom are water, food, shelter, warmth and rest. Moving up the pyramid there is need for safety and security, friendship, intimacy, love and relationships, esteem and accomplishment, etc. At the top of the pyramid is the capstone which is also the cornerstone and the realization of our full potential as creative beings. Who is the Christ? YOU are the Christ, which is the full creative potential within all beings.
ReplyDeleteDear Reader:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. Certainly "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs" is a useful construct. I am not clear if your model lead to physical immortality or just some "feel-good" stuff and then you die and that's it.
Best,
Harry Petersen
For a pyramid, the capstone is also the cornerstone. In the bible Jesus is referred to as the cornerstone AND the capstone. We can only correct errors from the bottom up.
DeleteDear Reader:
DeleteThank you for sharing your insights. I am not sure to what you are referring when you write "We can only correct errors from the bottom up." I am sure there is some obvious connection, but I am missing it.
Best,
Harry Petersen