[Matthew 23 – The Message]

The religious scholars hold God’s law in their minds, but not their hearts – and so it does not feed their souls (or mine). The mind-games distract and disturb; a ponderous puzzle; a maze that sends you running round and round and into walls – when, if you could see it from above – would reveal a beautiful pattern that all leads to the center. Instead of trusting the center’s call, they set up maze-guides who imagine they can tell you the best path (or at least the one that best suits them) and ask you to pay them homage for their trumped up authority.

If you could but learn to trust God’s love – and learn to love in return – the way would open before you. The way would become your way. And, instead of suddenly becoming a maze-guide, yourself, you would stop asking ‘what,’ or ‘where’ or ‘why’ and focus on who – and whose – you are. From that instant you are in the center of the maze, no matter where you are.

‘All the little rituals that you use to create authority are useless, if they are meant to carry the weight, themselves. They are only useful if they reveal, rather than conceal; remind, rather than distract. In themselves they are nothing – worse than nothing, if they substitute themselves for the truth – and then charge admission to see the sham. You hold the greater blame because you claim to speak for me and lead others astray. Get over yourselves; get out of the way. Divert your eyes from the rules you have made and the authorities you have established and seek me.’

[photo by Ian Sanderson per cc 2.0]