The Spark of Divinity

[driver]

The spark of Divinity. Didn't Jesus have this spark of Divinity? He was God filled but was not God. How about us? What about our sparks of Divinity? Do we realize we too are God filled and can do as Jesus did and more? I'm talking about spiritual values here not the dogmas the church has put on Jesus. What does this mean to us? What does this look like?

[cclendenen]

The spark of Divinity. Didn't Jesus have this spark of Divinity? He was God filled but was not God. How about us? What about our sparks of Divinity? Do we realize we too are God filled and can do as Jesus did and more? I'm talking about spiritual values here not the dogmas the church has put on Jesus. What does this mean to us? What does this look like?

I have met several people in my life who have such a spark. I will not name names, but these are people who have glimpsed some measure of the truth. They have a serenity about them. I believe you could call them enlightened. I believe we all strive for that same level of enlightenment, that same spark of divinity. I believe we all achieve some level of fulfillment, but we seek more. Why? Because even a measure of fulfillment is a hint of greater enlightenment to come.

I believe few achieve the level that Jesus achieved, and even fewer are recognized for the achievement. I believe that we can all achieve some level of enlightenment. And in the achievement, I believe that enlightenment, spiritual fulfillment and spark of divinity are pretty much equivalent, even if the depth and intensity of experience can vary widely.

[mystic444]

Chuck, your answer was, as usual, very well said. You seem to have a lot of wisdom (it must be the beard - "gray hairs bring wisdom" ).

That 'spark of Divinity' can become manifest simply when the 'law' is no longer 'written on stone' - something outside us to be 'obeyed' just because "God says so" (or someone insists that God said it) - but is 'written on our hearts' so that acting with love, kindness, and generosity is 'natural' to us. The 'nature of God' becomes our 'nature' also and we think like God, and act like 'Him'. I suspect that the more we 'realize' this 'God-likeness' or 'spark of Divinity', the more frequent the 'aha' moments will be; wisdom and insight will become 'natural' to us also. Which just shows me that I have a very long way to go yet in 'fanning the spark into a flame'!

[Lily]

The Spark of Divinity. I've never heard that before. I like it. It's not that we are like God, but that there is something of God in us.

[mystic444]

The Spark of Divinity. I've never heard that before. I like it. It's not that we are like God, but that there is something of God in us.

Yep. A lot of times the comparison is made between the Sun and its rays. The rays are not the Sun itself, but they emanate from and are 'of the same nature as' the Sun. We are like the Sun's rays in that illustration. We are not God, but we emanate from Him/Her/It and share Its nature.

In my former fundamentalist Christian days, I used to hear reference to that concept frequently - as a 'heresy' of 'liberal' Christians. We fundamentalists 'knew' that all mankind was 'totally corrupt', and the 'image of God' in man was totally erased (the 'spark' was completely extinguished). It needed to be 'recreated' in men for men to be 'saved'. Now I have 'imbibed' the 'heresy', and believe that no matter how 'covered up and obscured' the 'spark' and 'image' of God may be, it is still there and just needs to be uncovered and 'fanned into a flame'.

[gainesvillecathy]

Now I have 'imbibed' the 'heresy', and believe that no matter how 'covered up and obscured' the 'spark' and 'image' of God may be, it is still there and just needs to be uncovered and 'fanned into a flame'.

Some people believe that it is gone in others because they cannot see (reach) it. I have said this before.... we must meet people where they are in order to bring them (their spark) out.

Scenario: I am standing on one side of a huge gorge between two cliffs, and it took me months to find the best path to get there. Then I yell across to you to just "come on over", even though you are at huge risk of being too frightened, losing your way, or even losing your footing. It certainly makes more sense for me to go back across to you, take you by the hand, and then lead you over.

[Lily]

Some people believe that it is gone in others because they cannot see (reach) it.

Can that even be possible? Can it be totally extinguished or driven out in any of us? If it's in anyway like a little bit of God in us, what has the power to destroy it?

[gainesvillecathy]

Some people believe that it is gone in others because they cannot see (reach) it.

Can that even be possible? Can it be totally extinguished or driven out in any of us? If it's in anyway like a little bit of God in us, what has the power to destroy it?

Again, I need to clarify my statement. The sentence after the one you quoted does that.

The only thing limiting us from seeing it in others is ourselves.

[Lily]

You didn't need to clarify yourself, I didn't understand you to mean you believed that. I'm just marveling at the idea, as you put it. And at the idea that someone could look at another person, and feel they have the right, or insight, to make a determination like that.

[gainesvillecathy]

You didn't need to clarify yourself, I didn't understand you to mean you believed that. I'm just marveling at the idea, as you put it. And at the idea that someone could look at another person, and feel they have the right, or insight, to make a determination like that.

Yes, and they will refer to those people as "evil".

[Lily]

I could make a pretty good case for my brother being "evil," he has a tendency toward destructive behavior that's causes so much pain to those around him, and he does it all in the name of the lord. But I still believe that Spark is still alive in him, and may shine brightly someday. Determining someone has lost that Spark is equivalent to declaring someone a blasphemer who is beyond forgiveness, a concept I never got.

[driver]

I don't know Lilly you brother could be suffering from a mental illness. I know that I did a lot of wrong things in my life. I am a manic depressive or bipolar as they call it today. I'm on a lot of medications today, but some days have trouble managing. I'm still prone to mood swings, but not as bad as they use to be. I ended up in three mental hospitals for attempting suicide. There's not the mania left where I go off the deep end, but I can get depressed for weeks. Hang in there with your brother. Everyone eventually makes it to the light. There's no such thing as something unforgivable.