The Twelfth Insight - James Redfield [51]
She nodded.
“Wouldn’t it make sense that if someone was sincerely searching for Divine Connection and really found it, even if they never knew of Christ, they would have passed along the same path of expanding consciousness that Christ demonstrated? And so would have gone through Christ in a way? Maybe that’s what the scriptures actually mean.”
The group seemed stunned at my remark, and they all looked at Rachel.
She looked at me for a long moment, then smiled. “Yes, I now think so, because after our experience, I think that Connecting is a matter of letting go and opening up to a greater consciousness. Therefore, I think you are correct, although it is belief and affirmation that gets us started.”
Now Rachel’s gaze centered on Hira, as if to ask, Will you grant that your way is not the only way? That all other traditions can find love and redemption?
“This whole discussion shakes me,” Hira said, returning her look. “Like all of you, I experienced an inner security and sense of being loved and cared for, in spite of every shortcoming. So I would have to say, in light of direct experience, my tradition must acknowledge that instant redemption can take place, and that people of other faiths can move into Connection with the one God.”
She smiled, adding: “And the fact is, we have our own scriptures and prophets that have said much the same thing.”
She stopped and glanced at Adjar, who was looking back at her in complete acceptance. We could all feel a thick wall, built during centuries of conflict, beginning to melt away.
“I know your people have suffered, too,” Adjar said. “And I can give you your path. There is only one Divine Connection, and it is the same for us all no matter what path we choose, as long as it is loving and genuine.”
For several minutes, we just looked at one another and felt the rising love and Connection.
Finally, Wil said, “Now there is another element that we have remembered: the sense of personal and collective mission that we felt during our Breakthrough, an experience that led us to form this group. Which tradition most emphasizes the knowingness that we are here on Earth to do something important?”
Immediately, Hira spoke up. “You’re talking about the Judaic tradition. We believe that to be in God’s Connection is to be given a work to do. The Connection with the Divine doesn’t give us just love and forgiveness. It also gives us a mission that we know in our hearts has to be done. I don’t know about the rest of you, but on the mountain, I experienced the certain knowledge that there is a plan, and each of us is a part of it.”
Everyone nodded, and several people noted that their traditions also had strong scriptures that gave importance to mission. They just weren’t emphasized enough.
“So we agree,” Wil asked, “that the Judaic tradition is best at emphasizing the part of the Connection that is a realization of mission?”
I could tell that the clarity about mission—reinforced as it was with our decision to create a Template of Agreement—was elevating our consciousness even more. We had now recaptured three elements of our Divine Connection: love and all that comes with it, Protection and redemption. And now mission. I could see the elevation on every face.
“All we had to do,” Wil said, “in order to hold the Fifth and Sixth Integrations was to remember how these elements felt and to seek to come back to them if they were lost. If we lose this Connection of love, for instance, it’s because it has been replaced by one of the lower emotions. Seek to return to love, the primary emotion of Connection, and these other emotions will drop away. Then, once in love, Protection and mission come to us as well. The key going forward is to listen.”
Wil put a special emphasis on the word listen, and I knew it was his way of hinting at the next Integration.
“Do you know anything about the Seventh Integration?” I asked.
Wil gave us a knowing look.
“We haven’t found that part of the Document yet,