FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH

VEGLIARDO350 
Painting of Bruce Pennington

HOLY CHRISTMAS 2015  (PART II)
THE THIRD GOD'S COVENANT WITH MAN

THE ESSENCE OF GOD? LOVE. AND THE FACE OF GOD? JESUS CHRIST: THE FACE OF LOVE.
FOR CENTURIES THE HUMAN BEING HAS BEEN WONDERING ABOUT THE DEEP NATURE OF GOD, OF THE OMNI-CREATING  ENERGY, OF THE ORIGIN OF EVERYTHING, OF THE FATHER OF ALL THINGS. AND EVEN MORE HE HAS BEEN WONDERING ABOUT HOW, WHEN AND WHY THIS MYSTERIOUS FORCE INTERVENES IN THE HISTORY OF MEN, IN THE EVOLUTION OF HUMANITY AND IN EVERYDAY LIFE .
IF WE CONSIDER THE THREE MOST POPULAR MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS: CHRISTIANITY, JUDAISM AND ISLAM WE CAN FIND BIG DIFFERENCES, BUT ALSO MANY THINGS IN COMMON, THAT ONE MORE UNANIMOUS AND CERTAINLY MORE ENLIGHTENED IS THE CERTAINTY THAT THERE IS AN ONLY ONE AND UNIQUE GOD.
HOWEVER DESPITE THE GREAT ECUMENICAL EFFORTS OF THE LEADERS OF THEIR OWN CHURCHES AND OF THE MANY DEVOTEES WHO PROFESS A MORE RESPECTFUL FAITH FOR THE OTHERS? BELIEFS, ALSO THIS IS IMPORTANT POINT OF CONVERGENCE: THE UNIQUENESS OF THE CREATOR, IMPLY MANY DELICATE ASPECTS WHITHIN THE RELIGIOUS CONFESSIONS THEMSELVES.
GOD AND HIS MYSTERY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MAN THROUGH THE SACRED BOOKS: THE BIBLE, THE TORAH, THE KORAN.
APART THE CHANGES DUE TO THE TRANSLATIONS, THE REARRANGEMENTS, THE OMISSIONS AND THE INTERPRETATIONS, THE GOD WHO HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO US IS AT THE SAME TIME GOOD AND MERCIFUL, JUST AND RELENTLESS, POWERFUL AND WARMONGERING, INSIDE OF US AND INDIFFERENT TO OUR EFFORTS. HE IS EVERYTHING AND ITS OPPOSITE, IT DEPENDS ON HOW WE LOOK AT HIM, ON WHAT HAPPENS TO US, ON  THE INTERPRETATION OF THE  FAITH  THAT  WE PROFESS.
ISAAC AND ISHMAEL, CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM, ARE THE PROGENITORS OF THE DESCENDANTS WHO IN THE  DESIGN OF GOD WILL CREATE TWO GREAT COMMUNITIES, THE JEWISH AND THE ISLAMIC ONE.
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE GOD ELECTS HIS PEOPLE AND MAKES A CONVENANT REQUIRING THE JEWS  TO  RESPECT THE  COMMANDMENTS IN EXCHANGE FOR THE PROMISED LAND. THE LORD ADONAY, AS A LOVING AND SEVERE FATHER, PUNISHES HIS CHILDREN MAKING THEM TRAVEL HERE AND THERE WITHOUT A LAND, VICTIMS OF SEGREGATION AND SLAVERY WHEN THEY DISOBEY AND HE INTERVENES TO DEFEND AND GUIDE THEM THROUGH THE SEAS AND THE DESERTS, FEEDING AND SAVING THEM, THUS MANIFESTING HIS MIRACULOUS POWER, WHEN THEY REPENT. HE IS THE LORD OF THE HOSTS WHO TO PRESERVE HIS EVOLUTIONARY DESIGN FOR HUMANITY DIRECTLY PARTICIPATES TO THE BATTLES OF HIS PEOPLE ALLOWING THE USE OF VIOLENCE AND WAR: THE MATERIAL INSTRUMENT OF THE CONQUEST OF A NEW EARTH, ALTHOUGH THIS IS CONTRARY TO HIS COMMANDMENT: DO NOT KILL !
THE HISTORY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, HOWEVER, IS MAINLY A HISTORY OF DISOBEDIENCE.  BLINDED BY THE MATERIALISM OF THE "GOLDEN CALF" THE ELECTED PEOPLE BETRAYED THE FIRST COVENANT, BUT GOD, IN HIS MERCIFUL FACE, DECIDED TO OFFER A SECOND CONVENANT, NOT MORE BY LIMITING HIMSELF TO SPEAK WITH THE PROPHETS IN THE BURNING BUSHES, BUT BY REVEALING HIMSELF THROUGH THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF HIMSELF: HIS SON JESUS. IT IS THE SECOND CHANCE, IT IS A FURTHER ATTEMPT OF GOD TO SAVE HIS PROJECT.
BUT THE JEWS EXPECTED A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MESSIAH. THEY EXPECTED A STRONG AND WARLIKE  KING SITTING ON THE THRONE OF THE PROMISED LAND TO ARBITRATE JUSTICE AND ENSURE MATERIAL PROSPERITY TO HIS PEOPLE.
ON THE CONTRARY THE GOD MADE MAN COMES TO BRING A MESSAGE OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS, HE GIVES THE KEY TO ENTER THE PROMISED LAND THAT IS NOT A PLACE IN ITSELF, IT IS THE DIMENSION OF A NEW, JUST AND ETERNAL LIFE. HE COMES TO INDICATE THE WAY FOR THAT KINGDOM OF HEAVEN THAT IN HIS PLAN FOR HUMANITY GOD SAVED FOR HIS PEOPLE.
WITH JESUS CHRIST GOD DIRECTLY MANIFESTS TO THE MAN IN HIS ESSENCE: LOVE.
IT COULD BE OBJECTED, INDEED WITH GOOD REASONS, THAT THERE IS A FRACTURE, A CONTRADICTION BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND TESTAMENT.
JESUS SAYS: I DID NOT COME TO ABOLISH THE LAW, BUT TO FULFILL IT. (MT 5,17)
ACTUALLY GOD COMES THROUGH JESUS TO RENEW THE COVENANT OF THE COMMANDMENTS BUT HE INTRODUCES A REVOLUTIONARY WAY THAT DOES NOT IMPLY ANY MORE THE STRENGHT OF A JUSTICE THAT HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED THROUGH THE VIOLENCE OF THE WAR. HE SHOWS THE WAY TO SALVATION THROUGH LOVE AND THROUGH THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY TEACHING: FORGIVENESS.
HE FULFILLS THE COVENANT, BUT HE RENEWS IT.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST DELICATE DISCUSSION AMONG THE THREE MONOTHEIST RELIGIONS ON GOD'S NATURE: THE FINE BALANCE BETWEEN LOVE AND JUSTICE.
BUT IT?S THE STORY AND THE LIFE ITSELF OF JESUS CHRIST THE KEY ELEMENT TO SOLVE THE DILEMMA.
THE LORD OF HOSTS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT ADMINISTERED HIS JUSTICE EVEN THROUGH THE VIOLENCE OF THE WAR TO PUNISH AND SAVE HIS PEOPLE, THE GOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT  SHOWS THE WAY FOR A RIGHT AND HARMONIOUS LIFE THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST, THE INCARNATION OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS.
SINCE HIS PEOPLE REFUSED TO RESPECT THE COVENANT ONCE AGAIN BY NOT RECOGNIZING IN JESUS CHRIST THE MESSIAH AND EVEN CRUCIFING HIM, GOD PRACTICED HIS JUSTICE BY ELECTING A DIFFEREFT PEOPLE, BEYOND THE JORDAN RIVER, IN THE GALILEE OF THE GENTILES. AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE KEEPS WANDERING, TORMENTED BY WARS AT THE SEARCH OF A PROMISED LAND THAT ISRAEL WILL NOT FIND UNTIL IT WON?T BE SAID: "BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD".
BUT THIS JUSTICE IS NOT THE REAL ESSENCE OF GOD, IT IS THE NECESSARY CORRECTION FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROMISED LAND IS THAT KINGDOM OF HEAVEN YOU CAN ENTER ONLY THROUGH LOVE.
THE JUSTICE THAT RULES MAN EVERYDAY LIFE THROUGH THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT IS THE MAXIMUM EXPRESSION OF GOD'S LOVE THAT ALWAYS GIVES A POSSIBILITY OF REDEMPTION.
BUT THE CYCLICAL DUALISM OF GOOD AND EVIL THAT IMPRISONS THE SPIRIT CAN BE OVERCOME ONLY WITH LOVE AND FORGIVENESS, THE WAY TO ASCEND TO A SUPERIOR DIMENSION FOR ALL THE ETERNITY.
THE ETERNITY OF THE SPIRIT IS THE HIGHEST EXPRESSION OF GOD'S LOVE.
THE JUSTICE IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF LOVE: IT IS INDEED AN ACT OF LOVE.
BUT LOVE IS IN ITSELF PERFECT JUSTICE.
THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL IS THE SYMBOL OF OUR MANKIND SLAVE OF MATTER AND SELFISHNESS, DISOBEDIENT AND CONSCIUOUSLY SUBJECT TO THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD: SATAN. MANKIND THAT STILL HAS NOT RECOGNIZED THE SON OF GOD AND HIS TEACHING OF FREEDOM: LOVE.
IN THIS TIME THE PROMISED RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST IS GETTING CLOSER. IT IS THE THIRD CONVENANT, BUT THIS TIME IT IS NOT AN OFFER FOR ALL HUMANITY.
IT WILL BE A SELECTION BETWEEN THOSE WHO HAVE ACCEPTED AND LIVED THE CHRISTIC TEACHING OF LOVE FOR THE NEIGHBOUR SUCH AS IT IS INDICATED BY THE GOSPEL, AND THOSE WHO HAVE PERSISTED IN THE MISTAKE BETRAYING THE COVENANT. FOR THEM, THE JUSTICE, AS CORRECTION ACT OF LOVE, HAS FORESEEN THE LONGEST AND THE DARKEST WAY, BUT ALWAYS, WITH A POSSIBILITY OF REDEMPTION ASSURED BY THE ETERNITY OF THE SPIRIT.
ALSO FOR THE EARTH, PLANET MOTHER, MASTERPIECE OF LOVE, THERE WILL BE JUSTICE.
THE ELEMENTS OF HER NATURE WILL REGENERATE HER TO HOST ONLY THOSE WHO WILL ABLE TO LOVE AND PROTECT HER.
IT?S THE ESSENCE OF GOD, THE LOVE OF CHRIST, THAT PUSHES AND URGES TO THE NOT-VIOLENCE, THE KEY FOR A REAL RIGHT WORLD. THE DEFINITIVE OVERCOMING OF THE RELIGIOUS DISPUTES THAT HAVE LED TO THE HATRED AND TO THE  BARBARITIES CARRIED OUT IN THE NAME OF A SPECIOUS JUSTICE, IN THE NAME OF GOD.
THERE IS NO POSSIBLE VIOLENCE IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, IN THE PROMISED LAND, IN THE WORLD THAT ALL OF US WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN. CHAOS AND VIOLENCE WILL PERSIST IN THIS WORLD AS LONG AS MAN WON?T CHOOSE FORGIVENESS, TOLERANCE, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING.
UNTIL WHEN MANKIND WILL HAVE THE COURAGE TO OVERCOME HIMSELF AND CHOOSE LOVE.
"THE TRUTH SETS MEN FREE" CHRIST SAYS. IT SETS MEN FREE FROM SLAVERY, IGNORANCE AND HATE.
CHRIST IS THE TRUTH, THE WAY, THE LIFE.
CHRIST IS THE FATHER ADONAY WHO REVEALS HIMSELF TO THE MEN WITH ALL HIS POWER (THE MIRACLES) AND WITH ALL HIS LOVE (PASSION, DEATH AND RESURRECTION) .
COMPARED TO THE OTHER MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS, CHRIST IS THE PERFECTION OF LOVE. A REAL AND CONSTANT INVITE TO THE NOT- VIOLENCE.
CHRIST IS THE UNIVERSE THAT EMBODIES IN THE SON OF MAN JESUS.
THIS IS THE TRUTH. THE JUDGEMENT WILL BE VERY SEVERE ESPECIALLY FOR THE RELIGIOUS MEN BELONGING TO THE CHURCH OF PETER FOUNDED BY CHRIST WHO HAVE BETRAYED THE COMMANDMENT OF LOVE AND HUMILITY.
CHRIST THEREFORE IS THE SUPREME MASTER OF ALL RELIGIONS, OF ALL THE MASTERS THAT THE FATHER HAS SENT TO EARTH FOR CENTURIES AND CENTURIES.
THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.
THIS IS THE  TRUTH, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE EARS TO HEAR, LET THEM HEAR.
FAITHFULLY
G.B.

26th December  2015
Sant'Elpidio a Mare (Italy)