Miracles and Responsibility — Breaking Through the Ego Ceiling

Clouds opening to blue sky symbolizes what is required to reach the level of miracles and responsibility. Photo #170710 by Cohdra via Morguefile.com

Miracles and responsibility go together like a hand and glove. Without responsibility, miracles may well be impossible. Instinctively, I’ve known this for nearly four decades. But I did not know it well enough to talk about it with the clarity I now have.

In 2014, I had a lengthy, interesting and intelligent conversation with a brother of the Catholic priesthood. He was from Africa, originally, but had found life in America missing something. That something was a spiritual connection. To the dismay of his family, he joined the priesthood.

Though I did not agree with everything my African friend said, the details of our conversation opened several spiritual doors for me.

For one thing, I told him about my Miracle on Wilshire Boulevard—how in one moment, I was suffering rage and resentment for the assaults of six other drivers in Los Angeles rush hour traffic, and how in the next moment, I had forgiven them all and performed a “parting-the-sea” type miracle. That incident had given me a taste for what miracles required. It showed me what True Forgiveness is all about.

The Catholic brother had no problem with the miracle itself. What had him shaking his head in disagreement with me, concerned the notion that I had taken 100% responsibility for those other drivers and their assaults on me. He felt that such responsibility was an impossibility.

That conversation inspired me to write a book—Watered Down Christianity. I dedicated an entire chapter to that conversation.

It still puzzles me how a novitiate of the priesthood could not understand this simple idea. Yet, I had difficulty putting it into words. It took me writing that book and seven more months to settle into the relaxed knowledge I now possess.

What Miracles and Responsibility Have to Do With Each Other

Sunlight breaking through parted clouds symbolizes the hope required for miracles and responsibility. Photo by Bike756 (PD) via Wikipedia.org.

I’m certain that most Christians would find it easy to agree with the idea that Christ had taken 100% responsibility for the sins of everyone on this planet. Why did he do that? What was his motive?

Purportedly, his motive was one of saving all of his friends on this world. But what does that mean? We’ve heard that those who want that salvation must first follow Christ. But we need to ask again, what does that mean? How does anyone “follow Christ?”

In hundreds of conversations, face-to-face and online, with Christians about this and similar topics, I’ve come to the conclusion that many of them have rather weak ideas about what is required to follow Christ. Some seem to feel that all one needs to do is to say the words with feeling, “I accept you, Jesus, as my personal savior.” And that’s it. One Christian in Phoenix, Arizona was so delighted that he had found Christ, he couldn’t resist telling me—a perfect stranger at my brother’s Christmas party. He was thrilled, because his minister had told him that he could do anything he wanted and still be saved. His salvation was permanent and irrevocable. I attempted to disabuse him of such nonsense and ended up making a scene at the party. My wonderful brother calmed me down, but even the thought of murdering someone could not dislodge his glee at being saved. But was he, really? And what does salvation mean?

For me, salvation means that you are headed in the right direction. If anyone decides to turn around and head in the opposite direction, they are no longer headed in the right direction. Instant revocation of salvation—not by any heavenly authority, but by the person’s individual decision.

Following Christ means being like him, doing the things he did and walking in the direction he walked—toward the light of love, humility, responsibility and fearless confidence.

This doesn’t mean that miracles and responsibility can only happen if we climb up on a wooden cross. No. It means that we must take responsibility for the sins of those around us as if we did those things. What my African friend seemed to miss is that Christ was able to take that kind of responsibility, because he had let go of all ego. Ego is what separates us. Ego is the notion that “I am better than you.” Ego is what Christ called the desire to be “First.”

The antidote for this is simple—humility. This attitude of humility allows the person to feel okay being last and to place the needs of others ahead of their own. This is part of that responsibility. And it’s a part of what True Love is all about.

Nearly half of the people I surveyed felt that brotherly love is the most important form of love. Half as many people placed romantic love next. But only about ten percent said that unselfish or altruistic love is the most important kind. Ninety percent did not “get it.” Ninety percent were not following Christ, at least on an intellectual level. If that many people don’t understand, likely a larger percentage have not yet accomplished true following.

Miracles and responsibility go hand-in-hand. My African friend did a great thing by giving up his secular life, but he still has lessons to learn. So do I.

Following Christ is all about doing as he did. We need to sacrifice the physical, egoistic self and take 100% responsibility for all of the evil that others do to us. That’s what Christ did. And that is what we must do in order to follow him.

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