Description
To the average observer, our world has been turned upside down during the past decade. Globally, major economic, social and political institutions are crumbling and on the brink of collapse. Health care institutions, particularly in the United States, are straining under the weight of a host of chronic and complex illnesses. Man-made and natural disasters such as wars, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunamis have become an increasingly more frequent occurrence. Religious institutions that in the past served as the backbone of society and offered viable spiritual solutions to these ills are themselves facing issues they have never before experienced, and are baffled as to how they should respond.
In her 92-page Manifesto for Change, Rebekah Isaac states unequivocally that all of the problems plaguing our world have an underlying spiritual cause and it will be impossible to achieve a sustainable solution to any of them unless we first remedy the spiritual condition. Acknowledging a major principle of physics--that everything is energy (including problems)--she states that our spiritual energy is at its lowest, and thus problems that otherwise might be non-existent or easily solved now seem impossible to remedy. She offers a concise, comprehensive biblical solution to this dilemma. She notes that the spiritual and moral principles contained in the New Testament of the Bible are in fact a roadmap by which any person can achieve the highest form of spiritual energy. Spiritual energy equals spiritual power. New Age gurus have long told us that we cannot solve a problem by remaining at the same level of spirituality at which the problem was created. We must move to higher spiritual ground. It is equivalent to climbing up a mountain so that you can see clearly the road ahead.
While most of the spiritual and moral principles contained in the Bible have become universal, hers is not an ecumenical solution. She speaks of a living Christian God--a God who has a God Spirit or Holy Spirit just as we have a human spirit, came to live on earth in the physical incarnation of Jesus, resurrected bodily from the dead after he was crucified and buried, now lives in a glorified bodily form, and will soon return to establish his kingdom. But Christians beware, because this is not your customary Christian message. With the deftness of a skilled surgeon, the author slices away at the man-made religious doctrines and traditions of modern Christianity, and presents a core biblical philosophy of spirituality and discipleship that embraces every culture, religion and spiritual practice.
Though the book references the need for repentance or a reversal in our thinking and way of being, it is not a fear-inducing "hell fire and brimstone" message. On the contrary, it is an exposition of God's unfathomable love for humanity. As one New York City Anglican priest recently noted, the need for repentance and a turning away from evil and darkness is more akin to a beautiful sunflower turning its face toward the sunlight. It knows that the light is the only source of life. Similarly, the tiny acorn buried underneath layers of dirt dies to its old life as an acorn and makes a relentless trek upward toward the sunlight. Neither worms, stones, nor the dead roots of former trees can block its upward march. Coming out of the earth's darkness offers its only hope of becoming an oak tree. The author challenges that we also are called to die to our old self and come out of darkness into God's eternal light.
There are promises attached to this call for repentance. Not only is there the promise of a more beautiful and just world, but also of an increase in spiritual power that she suggests would rival the miracles and instant healings that were commonplace in first century Christianity. This promise is for anyone who dares to put the New Testament to the test. Given the condition of our world, perhaps we have nothing to lose by taking the challenge.