The Christ Ideal

A man may as truly dwell in the Kingdom of heaven while still in the flesh, as one who has left the flesh life for ever. For there is no future state of perfection into which the good suddenly enter at death. The to-morrow of death is the logical sequence of to-day in the flesh.

Jesus came to bring this consciousness to light, to quicken the dormant Christ soul in the lives of all mankind. He lived and moved and had his being in that consciousness. From it he sent forth power. From it he uttered living words of wisdom, glad messages of love, which have wrought their work among mankind even until to-day.

He, therefore, is a follower of Jesus who seeks that consciousness and, seeking it, finds and reveals it. In that spirit every man shall know what to do. In that spirit every man shall be guided to the best advantage of society. For from that spirit all life proceeds, and in that world all things have been provided.

First, last, and always, let us therefore return in thought to that memorable scene upon the mountain top, the central figure of which is Jesus, the Christ. Let us live with him through that hour, let us walk away with him and with his followers, considering the effect upon them of the power which his life had carried.

If we are moved to forsake all and go to dwell among the poor in this world’s goods, so be it. But let us recollect that it is not poverty which brings righteousness, and that an even greater mission may open before us among the materially rich. For after all it is the life, and they truly dwell in the Kingdom whose hearts and minds are with the Christ.

In closing our study of the Christ ideal, we must therefore take a larger view of the Kingdom and will of God. That Kingdom is not merely the great creative realm of the Spirit, it is the world of humanity, of humanity as a divine social organism. When we seek that Kingdom, it should be because of an earnest desire to find our place in the social organism, to do the work we are best fitted to do and to do it as well as it can be done. This is the Father’s will, for the Father lives for humanity, not for man alone; Jesus is the elder brother of humanity, not merely the Saviour of the individual soul.

For nearly nineteen hundred years the aristocrats, plutocrats, and potentates, have usurped power in the name of Christianity, and the time has come for this usurpation to cease. Henceforth let no one be called a Christian until his Christianity becomes social. Henceforth let no one be called a follower of Jesus until he begins to realise the law of love.

In times of doubt and sorrow and trouble, it is true, one should seek the inner Kingdom of peace, the love of God, the personal relationship of the Christ, speaking to Jesus as to an elder brother. But the indication that we have truly found rest unto our souls will be the longing to share this peace with our fellows, the deep desire to serve. For there is and can be no monopoly in the Christ world, no competition, no exclusiveness.

Loving, giving, serving—these are the true signs. It matters not so much to whom we give as that we give, and inasmuch as we give to the least of God’s creatures we give unto the Christ. For in the real world all souls are in a sense one, they are in the Christ and the Christ is in them.

In the real world, too, that is, the Kingdom of the soul, all men are immortal. The Kingdom of God is not of this world, in the ultimate sense. It is not limited by the things that perish. It is an eternal spiritual reality. It is the home of justice, where at last all shall receive compensation in accordance with the life they have lived, the wrongs they have endured.

Thus we must have regard for all aspects of the Kingdom. It is for this world; it is to be made practical here and now. It is for the individual; each is to turn to it at need, to find rest and poise and guidance. It is for humanity; our peace and poise are only means to a social end, our guidance is for service. It is for equality of opportunity; the full and harmonious development of all members of society. It is for justice, for righteousness and for love. And because it is at once individual and social, moral and spiritual, it necessarily extends beyond the confines of the present life to that larger domain where the incomplete shall be completed, where the unequal shall be equalised, and where justice shall be the universal law at last.

If you would do your part toward the realisation of that Kingdom, remember that the highest work which any of us can do for the Father is a spiritual work. Be in heart a brother to humanity and all men will feel it, however you are clothed. Begin where you are, work where you are. Simply be true to the best you know. Believe in God. Have faith in humanity. Remember that the old absolutism is passing, that it is even now entrenching itself in the last stronghold—the fortress of commercialism. And remember that, silently and without observation, the forces of life are gathering on the side of the people, that when the people unite they are invincible. Therefore have faith even in the present age. Condemn not; love. Be faithful. Trust. Remember that the Christ came not to destroy but to fulfil.