There's No Messiah! And You're It! Tikkun Olam! by David Glass

 

 

Recently Pat Webster presented a Sunday message on:  "There's No Messiah! And You're It!"  As Pat explained, this phrase is from the title of a book by Robert Levine, Senior Rabbi at the largest Jewish Temple on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  Her "longer title' helps convey a more complete appreciation of her message overall.  That longer title is:  

 

"There's No Rabbi!  There's No Messiah!  And You're It!  Practicing Acts of Kindness to Repair the World through 'Tikkun Olam! as the Messiahs Who We All Are."  

 

The phrase, "Tikkun Olam," is from the classic Hebrew, as is the term, 'Messiah."  In the Unity Metaphysical Dictionary, Rev. Pat explained, the term "Messiah" means "one who is endowed with a special mission, goal, or purpose."  In that sense, Pat declares, we all are Messiahs, and among our special missions is to serve in harmony with Tikkun Olam and practice acts of loving kindness to repair the world.  

Pat then calls upon Jean Houston--celebrated scholar, mystic, and author of such works as "A  Passion for the Possible"--for her contemporary prophecy that this generation has chosen wisely or appeared in divine timing to participate in making their unique, but collective, contributions to a major historic turning point for repairing and transforming planet Earth.  Another major famous mystic of our day, Caroline Myss, expert in archetypes and empathic guidance, also affirms, we are living in and through a "huge gigantic" pivotal time of major  transformation and "repair" or innovation as all former ways of living are giving way to newer, better, more sustainable ways in which we all can live and thrive upon the Earth.  

 

These grandiose transitions may or may not be apparent to each one of us. Pat seems to be saying that by practicing simple acts of loving kindness in whatever way we can, we are contributing to one overall global project as we all "Repair the World."  As "Messiahs," we are fulfilling "our particular endowment" with "a special goal or mission" as we "practice acts of kindness" that "Repair the World" and serve "Tikkun Olam!"

 

In his celebrated poem, "Tintern Abbey:  Intimations of Immortality," British poet William Wordsworth writes, "the better portions of a good man's life" are found among "his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love."  Pat will many times refer to the Dalai Lama in her presentation, who once declared, "I have no religion.  Or if I do, thenI would say, "My religion is kindness."  Another great soul, "Mahatma Gandhi" once declared, "God has no 'religion.'  His 'religion' is to act in deeds of kindness."  

 

Pat shows how, in every land, in every world religion, the idea of "Messiah" has appeared in different forms.  The "Messiah" comes endowed with a great mission and often as an incarnation of the Deity or Principle that religion holds supreme.  He or She also comes into the world to set aright all things and beings and inaugurate a better age of plenty and of peace.  

 

The famous German philosopher and theologian, Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), remarked that a surprising number of such "Messianic" persons appeared between the Eighth and the Third Centuries B.C.  The beliefs, meanings and values of the world seemed to be pivoting around these "Messianic" persons and their missions to the world.  The idea of an "axis" around which these changes were taking place suggested to Jaspers the idea of calling this period  "The Axial Age."   

 

Among these major figures were:  the later Hindu prophets and seers, Confucius, Lao Tse, the Buddha, Isaiah, Mahavira (in Jainism), and in the West the triad of philosophers--Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.  (Outside this period were Akhnaten, Jesus and Muhammad.) 

 

A large and growing community of thinkers and observers of our age are now proposing we are entering or in another major "Axial Age"--and age when major figures, or "Messiahs," appear to mark a major turning point from one age to another.  Indeed, the influential writer in this field, David C. Korten, titled his successful book, The Turning Point:  fFrom Empire to Earth Community. 

 

This major turning point is arising both objectively and in the collective consciousness, it would seem.  Our world is now and for the first time completely "self-aware" or "self-conscious" of its actions as a whole.  Through  instantaneous worldwide communications that now unify our sense of world-totality--we see an overarching global Wholeness we call Gaia or "the noosphere," or more simply, "the global village."  

 

In every field--from commerce and fashion, to government, science, the arts, philosophy, telescopic cosmic discovery, economy and industry--all functions of humankind--are converging in their relatedness in function and in nature.  

 

The good or "Silver Lining" Oswaldo might be able to see in worldwide "self-consciousness" is that now our progress and destiny is in a new way coming into our conscious control and direction.  In our very "self-awareness" lies the potential of our collective "conscious evolution"--our new ability to see our interrelated, integrated new condition as a planet from a total or "holistic" point of view and from that consciousness. 

 

Before this time, the many variations that divided us so problematically were exacerbated and intensified into major warfare and the collective casualties of destruction.  When we see our global welfare and our destiny as a planet, we can consciously and in a new way gain access to the potential for better planning and direction for humanity as a whole.  

 

In such a pivotal or new "Axial Age," the call will be for myriads of "Messiahs" affirming together "I rise in my allegiance to the welfare of humanity"--the new Pledge of Allegiance you can see posted in our entranceway.  

 

The call is there to all of us, "Messiahs" that we are, to respond to the ancient Hebrew call, "Tikkun Olam!  Repair the World!  By Practicing Acts of Kindness."  By such a means, and as the "anointed ones" we are, we fulfill our special missions as "Messiahs" and prepare the worldwide family of humanity--more lovingly, with kindness, to devise and realize a better future for us all.  Since our missions as Messiahs are special endowments from Source, we know the powers and forces of the universe are joining and empowering us to respond successfully to the timeless call:  "Tikkun Olam!"