Protected and Free

Jesus’ final prayer for his disciples in John 17* is simple:  protect them from evil, that they may be one as we are one.  Evil pervaded Jesus’ world as it does our world.  His death was, in great part, due to evil.  It doesn’t appear that he was protected from it.  What does he mean by “protection” in that prayer?

Neil Douglas-Klotz teaches that the Aramaic meaning of bisha, usually translated as “evil,” is “unripeness,” or limitation, or inappropriate action.  The unripeness is all about distraction and diversion, falsehood and folly. Delusion, illusion, and all manner of temptation can divert us from the Living Presence and divine purpose for right action.    To be authentic, to grow, to follow the Way, I certainly need protection from what holds me back. 

Creation spirituality offers a perspective on sin and evil that counters much traditional teaching.  Basically, it is that we human ones are made from earth and divine breath.  Each one blessed and blessing.  The garden story in Genesis is about original blessing, not original sin.  Eve and Adam, created to learn and to care, naturally wanted to learn the meaning of life by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge.  But God said not to eat the fruit for it was not yet ripe.

The first humans then left the garden of harmony and peace.  God went with them though.  On every path, in all the ups and downs of life, they were not alone but protected by oneness.  Furthermore, they carried the seeds of blessing within them.  Ordained, one might say, to bear good fruit.

It is probably easy for each of us to list our temptations and diversions, then to see the need for protection.  And the essential value — to be freed from the most harmful illusion of all, that we are alone.  Jesus stated the purpose of protection clearly: “that they may be one as we are one.”  Never alone but one.  Always companioned and strengthened by divine Presence.  Always guided and penetrated by radiant Love.  One with God – a unity of will to be a blessing.

That oneness is the protection.  It was for Jesus.  He said he only did what he saw the Father doing, united in purpose.  He didn’t always understand it or like it but he trusted.  He had times of distraction.  His struggle in the garden of Gethsemane is a prime example.  But he turned to the One and was restored to unity.

Let us pray Jesus’ prayer, too, that we be protected and free.