Everyday Mystics: Their Voices Speak of Inner
Truths
These are the voices of ordinary people, who
through their faith in a “living version” of Jesus, made him the pillar of
their strength.
Female Voices of Mystics
- Marietta Davis – A young visionary
who experienced dreams and visions revealing Christ’s eternal love and the
afterlife. Her inner journey deeply transformed her understanding of spiritual
life and the Kingdom of God within.
- Helen Roseveare – A missionary in the
Congo whose personal encounter with Christ taught her radical forgiveness
in the face of suffering. She found the living Christ in the midst
of war and hardship, revealing the healing power of God’s presence
in the most difficult situations.
- Corrie Ten Boom – A Holocaust survivor
who experienced the Christ of Forgiveness in her most extreme
trials, showing how the inner Christ can heal even the deepest wounds. She
was a beacon of light and love in the concentration camps, illustrating
the power of divine grace in the darkest of times.
- Ann Voskamp – A simple farmer’s
wife who discovered the presence of Christ through gratitude,
finding God in everyday moments. Her practice of noticing God’s presence
in nature, in family, and in daily life serves as a powerful reminder of
the divine presence within everything around us.
Male Voices of Mystics
- Dallas Willard – A quiet philosopher
whose life was a continuous conversation with Christ, demonstrating the
inner Christ as a constant companion and teacher. He explored how we can
integrate the divine presence in every moment of our lives.
- Brennan Manning – The author of The
Ragamuffin Gospel, who knew firsthand the transformative power of
God’s love in his brokenness. His life spoke of finding Christ within
despite struggles with addiction and self-worth, always returning to the
truth of grace and forgiveness.
- Rich Mullins – A musician whose
connection with God was most alive in nature and simplicity. His songs and
life reflect a deep trust in the presence of Christ, seeing Christ
as an intimate and constant companion.
- Henri Nouwen – A spiritual teacher
who found Christ in his care for the vulnerable. His life and writings
show that the Kingdom of God can be found in our service to others
and our compassion for the suffering. Henri’s deep connection with
the inner Christ led him to teach that love and humility are at the
heart of spiritual life.
God is Inside
The call to
encounter Jesus is an invitation to experience love and humility
within. This intimate relationship with Christ is not reserved for the
extraordinary or the elite but is available to anyone who seeks it as shown by
the mystics who experienced him.
By
listening to the quiet voice of Christ within, we open ourselves to His
love, wisdom, and guidance. Jesus the Man offers us a model for living,
showing us how to navigate the world with love and humility
Through
this deep connection with the inner Christ, we are invited into the Kingdom
of God, not as a far-off place but as a reality within. God is inside—alive,
present, and waiting to transform us.
The
mystics, both male and female, have shown us this truth through their lives,
reminding us that the Kingdom of God is available to all who seek and who
listen.
Far away
from the Clergy and far away from Rome, these individuals were inspired by the
Christ awareness within them and lived the humility, love taught over two
thousand years ago.
But who is
the Jesus that has inspired these mystics?
Few figures
in human history have impacted the world as profoundly as Jesus of Nazareth.
Whether seen through the lens of faith, scholarship, or spiritual mysticism,
his presence has shaped civilizations, stirred revolutions, and inspired
countless seekers.
But who was
Jesus, really? Was he the Messiah foretold by prophets? A mystic who travelled
East to learn ancient spiritual arts? Or a myth crafted by institutions seeking
control over hearts and minds?
We explore
the three main facets of Jesus: Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Mystic, and Jesus
the Myth, concluding with the transformative power of his legacy and the
shifting future of Roman Catholicism.
1. Jesus
the Messiah: A Divine Mission of Redemption
The
traditional Christian narrative views Jesus as the Messiah, the anointed one
sent to redeem humanity from sin. Rooted in Jewish prophetic tradition, this
perspective is built on the idea that Jesus fulfilled the messianic prophecies
found in the Hebrew scriptures.
Born of a
virgin, crucified, and resurrected, he is believed to be the Son of God whose
life and death opened the gates of salvation.
This view
became the cornerstone of the Church, particularly after the Council of Nicaea
in 325 CE, which defined the nature of Christ's divinity. It provided spiritual
guidance, moral compass, and a sense of hope to billions.
Jesus the
Messiah was introduced as a voice of God, however that voice was “supervised”
by a self-appointed clergy who determined or controlled the narrative that came
from Jesus.
This
version of Jesus has been institutionalized with church dogma. The spirit of
his teachings, centered around love, compassion, forgiveness, and selflessness,
was sometimes overshadowed by the politics and power of the Church. Still, the
Messianic image continues to inspire spiritual devotion worldwide.
2. Jesus
the Mystic: The Hidden Years and Eastern Journey
A
lesser-known but increasingly explored aspect is Jesus the Mystic — the seeker
and teacher who may have journeyed to India, Tibet, and Kashmir during his
"lost years." Between the ages of 12 and 30, the canonical Gospels
are silent. During this time, many believe he travelled the Silk Road, studying
with sages, rishis, and monks, absorbing teachings of kundalini, meditation,
healing, and non-duality.
Books like "The
Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East" by Baird Spalding
recount encounters with ascended masters, including Jesus, supposedly still
alive in Tibet. While controversial, these accounts emphasize a universal
Christ consciousness — a state of awakened divinity within every human
being.
This
perspective resonates with Eastern teachings: the divine spark within, the path
of self-mastery, and union with the Infinite. Jesus becomes not just a saviour,
but a mirror reflecting what we ourselves may become. The mystical Jesus taught
that the kingdom of God is within, and that miracles are natural
expressions of aligned consciousness.
3. Jesus
the Myth: Constructing a Savior for Empire
Then there
is Jesus the Myth — not to dismiss his historical reality, but to critically
examine how his image was shaped by imperial power. From the Roman Empire’s
adoption of Christianity under Constantine, to the Vatican's rise as a global
force, the mythologizing of Jesus served both spiritual and political agendas.
A quote
attributed to Pope Leo X allegedly states, "It has served us well, this
myth of Christ." While the authenticity of this quote is debated, it
underscores a deeper truth: the story of Jesus was curated and edited by
councils of men. Gnostic gospels, feminine voices like Mary Magdalene, and
esoteric teachings were suppressed.
Jesus
became a symbol of obedience, sacrifice, and passive suffering — useful traits
for keeping empires intact. The revolutionary, boundary-breaking aspects of his
message were subdued. Myth, in this context, does not mean fiction — but rather
a constructed narrative that shaped religious consciousness for centuries for
an exclusive patriarchal agenda that suppressed the feminine population.
4. Mary
Magdalene and the Divine Feminine
For 2000
years, the Church marginalized the Divine Feminine. Mary Magdalene was
miscast as a prostitute rather than a disciple and spiritual equal as written
in some gnostic texts. Gnostic and mystical traditions present her as Jesus'
close companion, perhaps even a co-teacher.
This
feminine archetype is essential for restoring balance. The patriarchal
distortion of spiritual truths led to domination, hierarchy, and emotional
repression. The resurgence of the feminine — intuitive, nurturing, powerful —
is vital. It is not about women replacing men, but about sacred
partnership.
The Cathars
of Southern France, embraced this balance. They viewed the material world as represented
by Rome as corrupt, valued spiritual purity, and held both men and women in
equal spiritual authority. They honoured Magdalene as a vessel of hidden
knowledge — and were brutally persecuted by the Vatican in what was known as
the Albigensian Crusade in the early 13th century.
5. The
Influence on Humanity: Myth, Messiah, or Mystic?
No matter
the lens — messianic, mystical, or mythological — Jesus has shaped the
collective psyche. His teachings of love, forgiveness, and self-transcendence
endure. But the institutionalization of his image also brought control, guilt,
and division.
Now,
humanity is awakening. More and more are seeking the living Christ within,
not through dogma, but through direct experience, meditation, service, and
compassion. The idea of Jesus as a guide to self-realization, rather than a
distant savior, is rising.
6. The
Future of Roman Catholicism and Christ Consciousness
The current
ailing Pope, Francis, represents a softer, more compassionate and inclusive Church,
but also an aging institution under strain.
As
scandals, declining attendance, and internal fractures grow, the future of
Roman Catholicism may depend on its willingness to return to the essence
of Christ’s humble message. They need to forsake all the rich vestments and
trappings that symbolise their departure from the simplicity of Jesus who as a
fisher of men was also a humble carpenter.
The future
lies not in the clerical power and control of the Church doctrine but in
spiritual empowerment of the masses. The emergence of Christ consciousness
— the awareness of divine presence within all beings — which transcends
religion. It echoes in the teachings of mystics, saints, yogis, and even modern
channels.
Facing a
schism, the Church must choose: Reform or fracture and fade. The Spirit
will continue, with or without the institution.
A New
Renaissance of Spirit
Jesus was
not just one thing. He was a Messiah for the faithful, a Mystic for the seeker,
and a Myth shaped by power. But he was also a teacher of divine-human
potential, of the sacred union of masculine and feminine, and of heaven
made manifest on Earth.
The time
has come to reclaim the fullness of his legacy. To go beyond blind belief into
living experience. To honour the divine feminine and masculine in Mary
Magdalene and Jesus and within themselves. To awaken the same spark that burned
in Jesus’s heart — in ours.
His message
was quite clear. “The Kingdom of God is within you.”
And it
always has been.
Epilogue:
The Quiet Revolution
A quiet
revolution is underway. The seekers are rising. The veils are thinning. And the
real teachings of Jesus — the man, the mystic, the myth breaker — are being
rediscovered by those who dare to see beyond the veil.
It is no
longer about religion. It is about awakening.
