What God Wants for You
Accept Your Destiny as One Who Will Be Anointed with the Oil of Love
“Mystics read the Bible not just to find God in it but also to find God in themselves and in each other.”
There’s a story of a bodhisattva — my apologies, I don’t remember their name — who had a habit of going around to random people on the street, pointing at them, and saying “You are going to be a Buddha!” The moral of the story, of course, is that this applied to everyone.
We are all going to become Buddhas someday. Maybe very soon.
Imagine the western corollary to this. “You are going to be a Christ!”
Imagine saying that, or even just thinking it, of everyone you met. No matter how kind or mean-spirited, how mature or immature, how personable or unattractive they might be.
No exceptions! You are destined to be a Christ.
It’s really not even that far off the beaten track of orthodox theology — at least, orthodox mystical theology. After all, the word Christian means “little Christ.” And don’t little ones sooner or later grow up to become big people? All the word Christ means is “anointed” — compared to a Buddha (“awakened”), calling someone a Christ is more down to earth!
We’re partakers of the divine nature. We have the mind of Christ. We are part of the Body of Christ. The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit who has been given to us. These are all teachings straight out of the Bible, for heaven’s sake!
Western spirituality casts a long shadow defined by performative humility. If we claimed to be Christ (or even a future Christ), we would be guilty of presumption and pride. I’m all for healthy humility — but authentic humility is about telling the truth, not putting ourselves down.
I believe God wants us to be Christs: anointed by the oil of the Spirit of Love. So let’s start to look for the Christ within ourselves — and each other. You carry within you the seeds of Divine Love. Imagine how beautiful you — and the world — will be when you water those seeds and they start to blossom.
My latest book, Read the Bible Like a Mystic, is now available in hardcover — and ebooks will be available starting June 10, 2025. Order your copy from your favorite independent or online bookseller; if you live in the USA, you can order an autographed copy by clicking here.
And if you live in Atlanta, come to a reception in honor of the book’s publication at Ignatius House Retreat Center on Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 PM — details here!