October 29, 2009
In the Presence of the Guru
copyright 2009  Lauri Lumby Schmidt

It seems as if the image of the Guru/devotee relationship has stuck with me as I find myself reflecting on the question, "Who is my guru?"  Of course, the immediate answer to this question is Jesus and that is pretty obvious by the work I have done and continue to do.  The deeper question I find myself pondering is "Why?"  Why is Jesus my guru and which version of Jesus is my guru?  I cannot claim to know the ultimate truth about who Jesus was and who he continues to be as the Christ.  All I know is that I continue to claim Jesus as my teacher, guru, counselor and guide because of the things I have learned from him, through his life and through his teachings - however convoluted those teachings have become through the various channels through which they have been disseminated.  All I can claim is my personal understanding of what Jesus taught and continues to try to help us to understand.  The following is my understanding of what Jesus came to teach:

• The God that Jesus knew and desires for us to know is unconditionally loving, kind, compassionate and merciful. 
• We are One with God and through this oneness with God, we are one with each other.
• God is love.  God made us out of love, for love and by love.  As such, love is our true nature.  This Divine love cannot be denied, nor does it have to be earned.
• All people are created as equal and are valued equally by God and we are invited to do the same. There is no discrimination based on race, creed, religion, gender or sexual orientation.  All are love. 
• There is no sin, therefore, there is nothing to be forgiven.
• The desire to be forgiven is ours alone.  We desire to be reconciled to the God and to other human beings that we have chosen to believe are separate from us.  God planted this desire within us so that we would seek and journey toward remembering our true nature. 
• What we call sin is merely a reflection of a deeper unhealed spiritual wound, rooted in our false perception of separation from God.  This unhealed wound is what has sometimes been called "original sin".
• What we perceive as sinful behavior is a cry for help.  The "sinner" needs healing, not condemnation or shame.
• Jesus came to heal this wound that affects all of humanity.
• Jesus was raised from the dead (though I'm not exactly sure what that means) and through the resurrection, fully embodied his own Christhood.  As the Christ, he is able to be present to each of us in an intimate and personal way as friend, counselor, teacher, healer and lover
• Jesus continues this healing work through each of us when we allow ourselves to be vessels through which his healing love can be shared in the world.
• Each of us is uniquely gifted to be a vehicle of God's healing grace.
• When we accept the call to use our gifts in service to this healing, we are participating in the Body of Christ and the very act of salvation. 

I guess I would say that the above list is my personal creed.  These are the principles out of which I desire to live my life and the motivating factors for the ministry work that I perform.  Of course, I don't always succeed in living this out, but it is my driving intention.  I do not seek to impose these principles on anyone else, neither do I assume Jesus to be everyone's chosen guru.  I do however, see a common hunger - the ultimate reason people come to me for Spiritual Direction, Reiki or classes.  That desire is to know that they are loved.  It is the truth of this love that I hope to help people remember so that they can be the best version of themselves that they can possibly be and so that they can experience a measure of the contentment and peace that comes in knowing the truth of this love.  And while I recognize that there are many teachers who have come to share this truth in the world, it is to Jesus of Nazareth that I give credit because it is through him that I began to get a glimpse of this truth and can honestly say that it is because of my relationship with Jesus that I have found healing and freedom in my own life.  For this I offer a prayer of gratitude and humility! 

In the coming week, I would invite you to reflect on the question.  Who is your guru and why?  What have you learned from this guru?  Where have you experienced healing and transformation because of the role of the guru in your life? 

And, if you do not yet perceive a guru in your life, remember,

When the student is ready, the teacher will come!