New Birth

The birth of a baby is often a very spiritual experience for parents. Often described as a miracle, the coming together of months of anticipation and the first breaths a child takes are moments that last in our memory for years, and for some, those memories last a lifetime. Christianity uses the term “born again,” and many sects of Christianity have very specific definitions of what that expression means. I would propose a different way of understanding what it means to be reborn.

Just as it takes approximately nine months to be born into the world, so the experience of being “born” into the kingdom of The Divine is a process that takes maturity and patience. Another important insight to consider is this: that which is born is the same or similar to that which gave it life. An infant is certainly not a fully functioning adult. On the contrary, it does little but cry, poop, pee, eat, and sleep.

Our earthly life brings us to a place where we are birthed into a spiritual infant. At that moment we realize that we are similar to that which gave us our spiritual breath. We are birthed out of the image of the Creator, and into an existence in which our skills are infant-like compared to those of our Heavenly Parent. After we have been spiritually born, it is up to us to discover the spiritual kingdom — the kingdom within, and also the spiritual kingdom that surrounds us.