There is a wonderful story that illustrates the advice Jesus gave the disciples when He sent them out to tell people the good news - the news that the Kingdom of God is within. It's about a conflict between the Wind and the Sun, about which was the most powerful. The Wind thought he was stronger because of his destructive might in tornadoes, hurricanes, sand storms, and electric storms. He pointed out his ability to turn a simple cigarette or lightning strike into a raging forest fire which could level hundreds of thousands of acres of forestland.
There wasn't a day that went by without the Wind bragging of his strength. The Sun grew weary of the Wind's arrogance and decided to settle the matter once and for all. He challenged the Wind to a contest.
"Look, you old wind bag," bragged the Sun, "I'm going to prove you're not as strong or influential as you think you are."
"Oh, you are, are you? Just how do you plan to do that?" taunted the Wind.
"See that old Truth Student down there taking a walk?"
The Wind whirled himself around to get a better look. The Wind smiled his joy and sent a taunting gust of wind to throw the Truth Student off balance.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Yes, I see him. Kinda wimpy isn't he? Surely you can find a more challenging subject than that weak old Truth Seeker!"
The Sun's voice did not change as he leveled his dare. "I dare you to blow the Student's jacket off his back."
"Ha! You're making this much too easy. In a short while," he boasted, "I shall rule Heaven and Earth."
He began to blow, gently at first, to disorient the Truth Seeker. To his amazement, the man clung to his jacket. The Wind blew harder, sending the man ricocheting to and fro across the street - but the elderly Truth student grasped his jacket even tighter! The harder the Wind blew, the more the man resisted.
The Truth Student's tenacity angered the Wind, so he sent huge gusts of wind, which pushed the gentleman into parked cars and against the sides of buildings. But the man would not release his jacket. One more fierce gust of wind blew the man's hat off and knocked him to the ground, but the man clung to his jacket even harder.
At last, the Wind gave up and dared the Sun to succeed where he had failed.
The Sun grinned and sent brilliant rays of warmth upon the Truth Student. The man stood up and brushed off his jacket and trousers, grateful for the change in the weather. In a short while, he began to respond to the heat. Beads of sweat began to pop out on his forehead and neck.
The sun continued to send radiant light and warmth upon the Truth Seeker who first unbuttoned his jacket and then took it off.
The Sun's "soft sell" style was much more persuasive, wouldn't you agree? The Wind's plan was to rip the jacket off the man against his will. The Wind had mixed up loving invitation with harsh influence.
The Sun, on the other hand, understood the essence of tactful influence and that the greatest kind of persuasion is showing warmth, kindness, and understanding through letting its light shine - instead of intimidation, power, judgmentalness, or humiliation.
The Sun applied the same secret Jesus understood when He warned His disciples not to force Truth principles on others. He encouraged a soft metaphysical approach. The message is in three of the four Gospels, so it is an important teaching. It appears in Matt. 10:7;10-14; Mark 6: 7-11; and Luke 9: 1-5.
The literal translation is fairly straightforward. Reveal the Truth with those who are ready to hear it. If you meet with resistance or disinterest, don't force things. Shake the dust off your sandals and non-judgmentally continue your Truth walk.
Metaphysically, this story is rich in timeless wisdom. I'll explain the key words and concepts first and then offer a metaphysical interpretation:
Jesus: that within us which recognizes and conscientiously works to fulfill our Christ Potential
Kingdom of Heaven: Christ Consciousness
Twelve disciples: the twelve higher consciousness powers inside us
Town or village: a group of accepted attitudes, a belief system, a particular point of view, socially accepted behaviors
House: individual human consciousness
Shake the dust off your feet: denying the power of the superficiality of materialism or the unhealthy lure of outer appearances to cloud our spiritual discernment
Metaphysically, there are three valuable lessons with a spiritual context:
1.As we apply our growing awareness of Truth principles (the 12 powers, represented by the 12 disciples, which are strengthened by our (I Am-ness) to our existing beliefs and habitual ways of thinking, we will meet with some internal struggles. It is natural to feel some inner fighting whenever we are expanding our spiritual awareness.
2.Some of our beliefs will be easy to revamp. Others may take a while. Be patient with yourself as you shift your thinking to the new, greater spiritual Truth.
3.When we encounter resistant thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs, we need to deny the power of materialistic inclinations to distort our understanding (shake the dust from our feet) and continue to walk the spiritual path on practical feet.
About the Author:
Dr's. Bil & Cher Holton are Spiritual Leaders at Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, NC, where they practice positive, practical, progressive Christianity. Visit their website at Unity Spiritual Life Center and sign up to receive a complimentary 4-week e-course.
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