6 - Repentance and revelation

The Scary Word!

Repentance can be a scary word. Part of that is because the English roots of the word come from meanings like regret, pain, punishment, and sorrow. None of those are especially fun.

 Luckily, the idea of repentance was around way before the English language was! So there is no need to be afraid here. Here is what I have learned about repentance.

A Better Definition of Repentance

Apparently, the greek word for repentance is metanoia. This word is better translated as 'turning around', 'a change of mind', or 'change of perception'. I have heard that it has roots in being 'off target', or missing your aim with your arrow.

 So when I talk about repentance in this blog, I am saying we need to change. We need to get better aim.

What are we Aiming At?

There are a lot of things to aim at in life. In my last blog post, I talked a lot about how to make life goals. We should generally be aiming at the highest good. When we find a higher good, we begin to aim for that, and we continue this cycle over and over again.

That Which was Lost

In the gospel of Luke (chapter 19), a man named Zaccheus wanted to follow Jesus. Many people saw this and muttered that Zaccheus was a sinner. Jesus made the most fascinating reply.
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
 Abraham made covenants with God to become closer to him. 'That which was lost' can refer to anyone who wants more in their life. It can also refer to our connection to God which was lost during the biblical fall of Adam, or, in other words, 'that which was lost' can mean our separation from the divine.

The Lesson

The lesson we can learn from this is how to come back into the presence of the divine. Zaccheus was doing everything in his power to change his life. He also pursued Jesus when he saw Him, aiming at the highest good he could find. Because Jesus calls Zaccheus a son of Abraham, I believe he was also demonstrating that he was fulfilling promises in the past, and would continue to fulfill them in the future. Promises with God can be powerful in helping us change.

 As we get better at seeking revelation, pay attention to what you need to change, and what you can promise to do to be a better person. Then maybe you too can reclaim that which was lost for yourself.

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