In my extensive reading of religious literature, it's uncommon to find a book that transforms one's perspective on Christianity. Yet, two such books have found a place on my shelf: "The Universal Christ" by Richard Rohr and "Finding God Beyond Religion" by Tom Stella. Both authors have roots in Roman Catholicism, with Rohr being a Franciscan friar and Stella a former Catholic priest.
"Growing up Catholic, I elevated Jesus to an untouchable pedestal."
This statement from Tom Stella resonates with my own Catholic upbringing. I perceived Jesus as distinct from myself, either as God incarnate or as the gatekeeper to God. But what if Jesus were simply a human like us, with a special connection to God that we too can achieve?
Stella, along with many contemporary Christians, no longer views Jesus as the sole conduit to God but as one of several possible paths. According to a 2020 Probe study reported by the Christian Broadcasting Network, even among evangelicals, 60% believe that "Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad are all equal paths to salvation." This percentage is likely higher among other Christian groups.
Stella addresses a common misconception about Jesus: that he is the only son of God. He suggests that we are all children of God. In Luke 11:1, Jesus instructs to pray "Our Father," implying a shared divine parentage. Stella concludes that instead of removing Jesus from his pedestal, we should recognize that there is space for us on it as well. We all have the potential to share the same intimate relationship with God that Jesus had.
Ed. Note: Although I believe that Jesus is indeed a unique manifestation of God, I find Stella's perspective relevant and thought-provoking.
"God is not separate from us but resides within us."
Stella posits that for many Christians, the veneration of Jesus has obstructed the awareness of their own intimate relationship with God. "We have exalted him," Stella notes, "but failed to see him reflected in ourselves." He proposes that we embrace Jesus as a human who reveals the incarnate presence of God in all beings.
"Jesus recognized the sacredness in all individuals," irrespective of their flaws or past mistakes, and regardless of their status in life. We are all deserving. Perhaps Jesus was demonstrating the kind of relationship all of us can have with the Divine, proving that we too can achieve an intimate connection with God. Elaine Pagels, in "Beyond Belief," echoes this sentiment:
"God’s light shines not only in Jesus but potentially in everyone." The Gospel of Thomas encourages seekers to know God through their own divinely given capacity, as we are all created in God's image.
Richard Rohr offers a similar perspective on Jesus. In "The Universal Christ," Rohr contends that "Christianity has mistakenly limited the Creator’s presence to a single human manifestation, Jesus." He argues that this has led believers to focus on following Jesus instead of his teachings.
Rohr speculates that God might have needed us to focus on Jesus, but we have gone too far. Our obsession with worshipping Jesus the messenger often becomes "a pious substitute for actually following his teachings."
Rohr emphasizes that most Christians believe "God’s presence was concentrated in a single human being," Jesus. However, Rohr suggests that Jesus merely realized what was already true—that the world is saturated with God's presence. Like Jesus, we are not separate from God; we are immersed in God, who is present in every aspect of life. We too can immerse ourselves in this divine presence.
What Jesus truly desired was for us to "see the world through his eyes."
Imagine viewing the world with the same love and compassion as Jesus. Wouldn’t our own world become richer, more compassionate, and more loving? Could we, like Jesus, become representatives of God on earth?
Rohr reminds us that God is the spiritual DNA within Jesus and within all of us. "The Divine Presence is here, within us and throughout all creation, not 'out there' in a distant realm." Recognizing that God is inherent in all things changes our perception of the world.
Jesus illustrated what a complete human might look like if we lived to our highest potential—and wanted us to achieve this potential in our own lives. Understanding that Christ consciousness is accessible to us too "has the power to radically alter our beliefs, how we see others, and our sense of God's magnitude." We become the fully realized humans we are meant to be.
Rohr teaches that when we "stand in solidarity with everything and everyone else," we perceive the Divine in everything and everyone. By learning to see God in all things, we see the world and ourselves "in wholeness, not just in parts." Accepting this can radically shift our perspective:
"Once we understand that the entire physical world around us, all of creation, is both the hiding place and the revelation place for God, this world becomes home, safe, enchanted, offering grace to anyone who looks deeply."
Edited by: Jasmin Koso
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