Empowerment through the Holy Spirit is a central theme in Christian theology. In Acts 1:8 Jesus tells his disciples they will receive spiritual power when the Holy Spirit *and its transformative power* comes upon them - in order to become an effective witness of Christ. 'Through the Holy Spirit we receive guidance, strength, and the ability to serve with love and purpose': This theme is seen in Acts 1:8, Isiah 40:29, Philipians 4:13, Corinthians 12:9.
In classical theology, the 'Christ Event' is not only a past event but a continuity of Redeeming Action: The ongoing development of evolving personalities and creative activity expressing itself in evolution, history, and human awakening - for the purpose of 'drawing all things toward harmony'. This is the sense in which Christ is "with you always, even to the end". In other words, the Christ within is the inner evolutionary impulse moving Creation toward its fulfillment.
Different traditions have different names for this invisible to the mortal eyes (like gravity or electricity) 'Holy Power'. Sri Aurobindo as well as his spiritual partner, The Mother, experienced the descent of the transformative 'Holy Power' directly. The Mother asserted: "Do not try to judge the Divine Grace (Holy Spirit's or Divine Shakti's transformative Power) by your mind, you will not get anywhere, because it is something formidable which is not explained through human words or feeling."
"Because truths are embedded in various religious traditions, we ought to seek redemptive bridges to other traditions and inquire if God's word has been heard by their adherents. We ought to look at other traditions with emphatic understanding - and at our own religion with a critical eye. If we do so, we might be enriched and be moved to do our theology less in the "Christian ghetto" and more globally."
This brilliant quote is from: Flame Of Love - A Theology of the Holy Spirit, authored by Clark H. Pinnock.
This book's cover image of a white dove's flight through flames caught my eye (at a library) - because the very same image/symbol - in all its vibrant glory - intoduced itself to my spiritual eye multiple times.
Those who are called to the spiritual path and survive the ups and down of the 'cosmic makeovers', know that this path is not for the fainthearted.
Sri Aurobindo's teaching on Hidden Forces & Divine Grace confirmed my Grace-bestowed Depth Data's Revelations. The following excerpts are from: Letters on Yoga - II
"(Divine Grace) Is apower that is superior to any rule, even of the Cosmic Law - only it has a discrimination of its own which sees things and persons and the right times and seasons with another vision than that of the Mind or any other normal Power. A state of Grace is prepared in the individual often behind thick veils by means not calculable by the mind and when the state of Grace comes then the Grace itself acts. There are these three powers:
(1) the Cosmic Law, of Karma or what else (2) the Divine Compassion acting on as many as it can reach through the nets of the Law and giving them their their chance; and (3) the Divine Grace which acts more incalucably but also more irresistibly than the others. The only question is whether there is some something behind all the anomalies of life which can respond to the call and open itself with whatever difficulty till it is ready for the illumination of the Divine Grace - and that something must be not a mental and vital movements but an inner something which can well be seen by the inner eye. If it is there and when it becomes active in front, then the Compassion can act, though the full action can act, though the full action of the Grace may still wait attending the decisive decision or change; for this may still come between, something that is not yet ready to receive." p. 168
Source: https://motherandsriaurobindo.in.Sri-Aurobindo/books/letters-on-yoga-II/#the-divine-grace-and-guidance
I am glad to say that my eternal self-Soul received the full impact of Grace-bestowed "decisive decision". Without that, The River of Light Revisted, would not be written in April 2019.
That's all for now. The queen of edit-expansions may or may not add more.
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