Meditations: on the Greatest Gift Ever Given

`Finding unity with Christ is not a given; it depends on turning the ego - that provides our sense of experiencing ourselves as a unique being - into an instrument of loving perception that connects with other beings. Learning to do this makes the path to Christ a path of self-knowledge, where the freedom to make mistakes and consequent error lets us see ourselves with humility as we come to know how to bring love into what we say and do.' (From the Introduction.) In order for human beings to progress, contends the author, we can no longer rely on outer authority in the form of dogma, power and control. Rather, we need to find spiritual and creative solutions from within. Fundamentally, we should discover what makes us truly human and not merely animal. `The direction of this book is to indicate how this may be addressed in artistic and imaginative terms that touch the powder, so to speak, with a different fire that ignites a different future.' With Meditations, Michael S. Ridenour provides a fresh and varied look at themes explored in his recent book The Greatest Gift Ever Given. The more meditative, intimate format of this short volume allows content and mode of expression to complement each other by expanding these themes into realms of individual experience. Part One does this by making use of a shorter poetic-commentary presentation, allowing greater variety and flexibility of focus. Part Two builds on paths of individual initiation from the esoteric Christian tradition, showing how they address contemporary concerns for greater spiritual awareness and a more perceptive quality of consciousness. Meditations is a thoughtful work that offers support for understanding and practising the contemporary spiritual path.