Hello,
My name is Nicho and welcome to the second track in our journey through the Gospel of John using the sacred practice of Lectio Divina,
Sacred Reading.
Before we begin,
Let us pray.
Great Spirit,
Giver of Life,
Let your spirit wind move freely within us now.
As we listen to these sacred words,
May we be born anew in your presence.
Help us to open the eyes of our hearts to receive what you are offering,
Not through striving but through stillness.
We ask this in the name of the One who brings us life,
Creator sets free,
Amen.
A man named Conquers the People,
Nicodemus,
Came to Creator sets free,
Jesus,
In secret at night.
He was one of the separated ones,
Pharisees,
And a headman of the tribe of wrestles with Creator,
Israel,
Who sat in the great council.
Out of the shadows,
He whispered,
Wisdom Keeper,
We know the Great Spirit sent you to teach us.
No one can perform powerful signs like these unless the Maker of Life walks with him.
I speak from my heart,
Creator sets free,
Jesus,
Answered.
Only one who has been born from above can see Creator's good road.
Conquers the People,
Nicodemus,
Was surprised by this strange answer,
So he asked,
Can man be born when he is old?
Can he enter his mother's womb to be born a second time?
Listen closely,
Creator sets free,
Jesus,
Answered.
One must be born,
Both of water and spirit,
To walk Creator's good road.
The human body only gives birth to natural life,
But it takes the spirit of Creator to give birth to spiritual life.
Do not be surprised that I said to you,
You must be born from above.
Everyone born in this way is like the wind that blows wherever it wants.
You can hear its sound,
But no one knows where it comes from or where it goes.
How can these things be?
Conquers the People,
Nicodemus asked.
Creator sets free,
Jesus,
Looked gently but firmly into his eyes and continued.
How can it be that a wisdom keeper and a spiritual leader of the tribes of wrestles with Creator,
Israel,
Does not understand these things?
Listen closely,
For you fail to hear what we are talking about.
We are speaking about things we know to be true.
But if you do not believe me when I talk about things on earth,
How will you believe me when I talk about the things from the spirit world above?
For there is only one who has gone up and come down from the world above,
The true human being.
Do you not remember when drawn from the water,
Moses,
Lifted up a pole with a snake on it in the desert wilderness?
This is what will happen to the true human being.
So people will put their trust in him and have the life of the world to come that never fades away,
Full of beauty and harmony.
Long ago,
When the tribes of wrestles with Creator,
Israel,
Were wandering in the desert,
They did not listen to the Great Spirit.
Poisonous snakes came and bit them,
And many were dying.
Drawn from the water,
Moses prayed for them.
So Creator told him to put a snake on a pole and lift it up so the people could see it.
When they looked at it,
They were healed and did not die.
Conquerors,
The people,
Nicodemus,
Remained silent,
Listening to the words of Creator sets free,
Jesus.
The Great Spirit loves this world of human beings so deeply he gave us his Son,
The only Son,
Who fully represents him.
All who trust in him in this way will not come to a bad end,
But will have the life of the world to come that never fades away,
Full of beauty and harmony.
Creator did not send his Son to decide against the people of this world,
But to set them free from the worthless ways of the world.
The ones who trust in him are released from their guilt,
But for the ones who turn away from him,
To follow the ways of this world,
Their guilt remains.
This is because they are turning away from the life of beauty and harmony the Great Spirit offers through his Son.
This is what decides for or against them.
My light has shined into this dark world,
But because of their worthless ways people loved the dark path more than the light.
When they chose the dark path,
They do not want others to see,
So they hide in the darkness and they hate the light.
But the ones who are true and do what is right are walking in the daylight,
So others can clearly see they are walking with Creator.
Now listen deeper with a new perspective.
Let these words wash over you with your total presence and attention.
Hear now the heart of this story.
A teacher of the people comes to Creator sets free in the night.
He sees the signs,
The wonders,
But cannot yet see the way.
Creator tells him,
To walk the good road you must be born again,
From above,
By water and by Spirit.
The Spirit wind moves where it will,
You hear it,
But you cannot see it.
So it is with all who are born of Spirit.
The teacher does not understand,
And Creator says,
You teach others,
But you do not see the truth standing before you.
I have come from above,
To bring light into this dark world.
Just as the healer's pole was lifted up in the wilderness,
So I will be lifted up,
That all who trust in me may live forever.
And then he speaks the great mystery.
The Great Spirit loved this world so deeply,
So deeply that he sent his Son,
Not to judge but to heal,
So that all who trust in him would walk in light and not darkness.
The light has come,
But some turn away,
Afraid to be seen.
Still,
Those who walk in truth come into the light,
And their lives show the work of the Great Spirit.
What phrase or image stirred your Spirit?
What did you feel when Creator spoke of the Spirit wind,
Or of light,
Or of love?
You do not need to understand with your mind.
Let your heart speak now in silence.
How do you desire to be born anew?
What does the Spirit wind wish to awaken in you?
Great Spirit,
Thank you for this holy conversation.
Thank you for the gift of new birth,
For the mystery of the Spirit wind that moves where it will.
Let your light continue to shine in us,
Even when we do not fully understand.
And may we walk this good road with trust,
With wonder,
And with open hearts.
Amen.
This meditation is part of a larger journey.
Lectio Divina through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
John,
If this spoke to you,
I invite you to continue the path.
The next meditation will guide us deeper into the mystery of the living water and Spirit.
May peace remain with you as you walk in the light.
Nicho
