Difference between revisions of "Seminar Faith:Relationship to a more central figure of faith"

Revision as of 22:18, 16 May 2012

Caption

This is section 5 of the Seminar Faith. Comments or questions are appreciated. You can also write to John Eagles.

Poem

The image at the top right shows two masses orbiting around a common center, called 'barycenter' in astronomy. The barycenter is the center of mass of two bodies. Such is the situation for planets orbiting stars, for example the earth orbiting the moon, and moons orbiting planets, for example the moon circling around the earth.

This center of gravity is not exactly in the center of the heavier body. For the earth and the moon, the common center of mass is a point approximately 1,710 km (1062 miles) below the surface of the Earth.^[1]

When you look at the picture, you can imagine the smaller body orbiting around the heavier body, but you can also see the larger body orbiting around the smaller one, depending on what viewpoint you take. Actually, they are both orbiting around the common center.

I show this picture because it is illustrative for the relationship of two central figures of faith, one more central and the other one seemingly in a subordinate position. In reality, they are not only relating to each other but also to a common center that they together create.

In astronomy this situation is simultaneously true for many celestial bodies. In the solar system, the sun and all its planets and all their moons together form one center of mass around which they all orbit. The center of mass is closer to the sun than to any of the other masses, but it's still central to all; the sun itself is not really the center.

Now to the relationship of two central figures of faith, one more central.

Jesus can be seen as the central figure of faith in his time. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at the River Jordan, he went to the wilderness for 40 days to fast.^[2] Jesus stood on a foundation of faith that apparently was also dependent on John the Baptist's relationship to him.

While many Christians believe that John did a good thing to baptize Jesus, the Divine Principle explains that John the Baptist should have made preparation to receive Jesus as Messiah but John failed to do so.^[3]

Soon after this event, John the Baptist lost his life, and Jesus, after the 40 days in the desert, took over some of John's disciples and began his public mission. Jesus had to built a new Foundation of Faith after John's failing to unite with Jesus as the more central figure of faith.

Earth Drum Sacred Spirit, this is a temporary file, will be replaced by a podcast:

Assignments

Assignments are optional tasks that may help you to get a deeper grasp of the topic of this section of the seminar.

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What you should remember

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Back

Seminar Faith to go to the other sections of this seminar.
Seminar Faith:Parameters of the Foundation of Faith to go to the former section of this seminar.

Next section

Seminar Faith:First result of the Foundation of Faith: Love relationship with God

References

Comments

Coming soon

[1] Center of mass, section Astronomy - Wikipedia

[2] /wiki/Jesus#Baptism_and_temptation Jesus, section Baptism and temptation - Wikipedia

[3] Divine Principle, PART I, CHAPTER 4, ADVENT OF THE MESSIAH

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@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 Jesus can be seen as the central figure of faith in his time. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at the River Jordan, he went to the wilderness for 40 days to fast.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Jesus#Baptism_and_temptation Jesus, section Baptism and temptation - Wikipedia]</ref> Jesus stood on a foundation of faith that apparently was also dependent on John the Baptist's relationship to him.
+While many Christians believe that John did a good thing to baptize Jesus, the Divine Principle explains that John the Baptist should have made preparation to receive Jesus as Messiah but John failed to do so.<ref>[http://www.unification.net/dp73/dp73-1-4.html Divine Principle, PART I, CHAPTER 4, ADVENT OF THE MESSIAH]</ref>
+Soon after this event, John the Baptist lost his life, and Jesus, after the 40 days in the desert, took over some of John's disciples and began his public mission. Jesus had to built a new Foundation of Faith after John's failing to unite with Jesus as the more central figure of faith.