Cleansing The Temple

Okay, so how do we do that- cleanse the temple? What’s the best scrubbing compound? Or, are we talking about non-physical stuff? If so, what sins then do we need to purge from the temple? Is it the selling of merchandise, books, tapes, or religious trinkets? How about if cleansing the temple has nothing to do with those things that we normally think about?

Could it be that we’re talking about a metaphor here for getting rid of our stinking thinking?

Ah, but then wouldn’t that thinking be a subjective matter, totally dependent upon the observer, interpreter, judge? How about the possibility that we rid ourselves of religious prejudices, anything that makes us superior to another? Now we’re making this personal! But it could get worse. Maybe we need to cleanse ourselves of beliefs in powers other than God. Understand now that means there is but one power not two.

We can’t say that the devil made me do it!

We have placed too many limitations on our life as a result of the outpicturing of what-who we conceive God to be. Is God this theistic being out there who from time to time responds to our pleas. Is God a monotheistic being that’s into nailing us for every sin? Is God out THERE or in HERE? Does God forgive and restore or does God set rules and if they’re broken it’s just tough luck! You chose!

For me the metaphor of cleansing the temple is about abandoning our thinking and allowing the Father-Consciousness to take over. It doesn’t happen over night and in fact it happens very seldom. Our egos simply do not want it to happen. Question! When’s the last time you allowed a totally contrary thought to YOURS to challenge you? Unfortunately we build walls, establish theological fences, and construct boxes from which we label, categorize, and hem in all things we don’t want to touch us.

Once we’ve become unteachable, not open to new ideas, and totally established in what we believe, the temple is beyond repair, let alone a little scrubbing or cleansing.