Pastoral Psychologist's Take on the Book of Revelation in Commemorating Ascension of the Lord

日本語によるコメント：

今日は、復活したキリストの昇天を記念する日であり、ヨハネの黙示録についてちょっと考えてみました。　

キリストは昇天とともに、この世から肉体での姿を消してしまい、弟子たちもちょっと不安になりましたが、キリストに引き続き、天にまします父より聖霊が送られ、それにより勇気付けられ、そのご、どのような困難、迫害にも耐えられるようになりました。

昇天後のキリストは、時がくれば戻ってくる、そして、信者のための新しい住処を約束された。　その住処がいったいどういったものか、そして、そこに信者が住めるようになるまでにはいったいどのようなことが起こるのかについて書かれたのが、聖書の一番最後にあるヨハネの黙示録です。

つまり、アダムとイブが失ったエデンの楽園よりさらにすばらしい楽園がキリストの約束した新しい神の家の中の住処なのです。ところが、それまでの道のりは容易ではありません。というのは、アダムとイブ以来、人間が神にそむき、犯した罪による”垢”落としの為、７人に天使たちが悪魔との戦争をしなければならないからです。

心理の臨床家として、私は、キリストが約束した新しい楽園を心の安泰、すこやかな魂の比喩でもあるととらえます。そして、黙示録に記された新しい楽園までのさまざまなチャレンジ、戦い、は、心の安泰、魂の健やかさを取り戻す為の修行的な努力の比喩でもあると考えます。　だから、森田療法のような心理療法は結構しんどい努力（体得の為の努力）が必要なんです。

また、黙示録にある新しい楽園への道は、仏教でいう浄土への道と比較しながらかんがえるとキリスト教にあまりなじみのない日本人の方にもわかりやすいかと思います。

私の解釈では、仏教でいう悟りのない凡夫という人間は、神にそむきやすく、神の罰を受け、一度和解しても、また、もとの木阿弥で、罪を犯し続ける。だから、アダムとイブの失楽以降の人間は苦しみの終わりなきサイクルを続けている。この、終わりなき苦しみのサイクルは、仏教でいう六道（　地獄界、餓鬼界、畜生界、　修羅界、人界、天界）をぐるぐると輪廻転生でもってめぐり続けるようなものとも考えられましょう。そうした終わりなきサイクルが、創世記より黙示録までの聖書にしるされています。そうした中での、人間と神との関係、契約のドラマが聖書の物語の心理的な側面です。まあ、聖書からの教訓としての人間と神の関係とは、何度も浮気する問題のある夫婦関係のようなものにたとえることができます。　

神としても、”浮気”を繰り返す人間にもううんざりし、プッツンしようかとも思ったことかも知れませんが、神はやはり人間を愛している。だから、プッツンできない。そこで、慈悲深き神はあたかも、仏が菩薩の姿となってこの世の人間を救うように、今度は自分がイエスという人間の姿、ある意味では権現様、となってこの世の凡夫との交わりに現れ、悔い改めさせ、福音を伝える。その究極ともいえるのが、黙示録の２１章から２２章５節までに描かれたあたらしい楽園を得る意味だといえます。　キリスト教でいう改心により罪のサイクルからおさらばして自由になる、そして新しい楽園で神と共に暮らすことは、仏教でいう悟りにより輪廻転生のサイクルから自由になり、浄土で安らかになるということにもたとえられるかと思います。

Theologically, the Book of Revelation is about the second coming of Christ, Parousia,  as the risen Lord had  indicated before he ascended to the Father. 

John 14 starts with these words of the Lord:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be” (John 14:1-3).

The place that Jesus has promised to prepare for his faithful believers and followers in the Father’s house is what is to be brought along with his second coming.  It is envisioned in Revelation 21:1-22:5 as the New Jerusalem or the New Eden.  

Appearance of New Jerusalem as the New Eden (Revelation 21:1-22:5) is not exactly the same as recovering the “good old” Eden that Adam and Eve had lost for their sin, Original Sin (Genesis 3). This teaches the fact of impermanence – what is lost is lost forever.  However, what is lost may be replaced with something new that resembles what is lost but comes in a much better form.

As a pastoral psychologist, I find this lesson from the Book of Revelation serves as a helpful therapeutic metaphor to inspire my traumatized clients/patients into post-traumatic growth.  I would like to write on this in more details on another occasion. 

Biblically, ever since the eviction of Adam and Eve from Eden (paradise) in Genesis 3, the relationship between God and the humans has been going through roller-coasters.  With the first murder in humanity, committed by Cain, out of jealousy (Genesis 4:1-8), the relationship between God and the human has become worsened, as the humans have continued to sin against God. In response, God decided to cleanse all sinful corrupted beings, including the humans of wickedness, through the deluge (Genesis 6-8).  

Though there was a mending of the human relationship with God through the covenant ark of Noah, the human, again, sinned and sinned, departed from their loyal relationship with God.  This resembles repeated infidelity committed by pathologically unfaithful spouses. 

This behavioral pattern of infidelity continued in a vicious cycle for generations throughout the biblical canon.  This vicious cycle of human violation of the covenant is one consistent theme found throughout every canonical book in the Bible from Genesis on. 

In response to this vicious cycle of sin offense against God, God decided to incarnate Himself to send more powerful prophetic message to the sinful humans. This is where the New Testament begins.  This decision of God to make himself in the form of the human flesh as Jesus by impregnating Mary, the virgin, was to save the human out of His anger through metanoia, turning the human heart from sin to God.  This is out of God’s love for the humans. 

Nevertheless, the sin of the humans killed Jesus. This greave sinful act somewhat resembles the behavioral pattern of Cain’s murder of Abel.  Yet, Christ resurrected and began to bring the scattered disciples back together, as a shepherd gathers his sheep, and taught the messianic meaning of his death and resurrection before his ascension to the Father.  This is what we read during Easter season to prepare for Ascension and Pentecost. 

Through Jesus’ messianic message given to the disciples, we are hinted at Christ’s return and what will be brought with his return.  The Book of Revelation describes what will happen to the world -  to make the way for his return and what comes with his return (Revelation 5, the opening of the seven-sealed scroll;  Revelation 6-16, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls; Revelation 17-19:4, the three-fold fall of anti-Christ symbolized with Babylon; Revelation 19:5-21, the victorious arrival of Christ and the marriage of Christ and the Church; Revelation 20, locking and sealing the devil; Revelation 21-22:5, the new paradise as New Jerusalem, New Eden; Revelation 22:6-21, closing exhortation). 

In following the flow of the narratives in the Book of Revelation, we know that it is the promised path to return home – the home that Adam and Eve had lost.  

Eden used to be our home, collectively speaking. 

The humans have been evicted and wondering for way so many years outside Eden. Spiritually, we have been “homeless” and wondering around ever since the Adam and Eve’s eviction from Eden – until the dwelling place in the Father’s house in Jesus’ promise (John 14:3) is brought with his second coming as New Eden. 

Series of disasters brought to cleanse the world through the seven seals, the seven trumpets, the seven bowls by the seven angels (Revelation 6-16) are to make the way for Christ to return, bringing the New Eden, where we will find our new dwelling place.  This is like a house cleaning before we receive an important visitor. A very similar image is invoked in Advent, when we prepare the way for Christ to come (his first coming), recalling Isaiah’s prophetic words:  A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God (Isaiah 40:3, cf. Mark 1:3).  

Clearing and cleansing the way for Christ to return so that we can return our long-lost home in the totally renewed home – New Eden! This is what the Book of Revelation is about. Thus, reading the Book of Revelation should bring a sense of joy, stimulating our eschatological hope in the fullness of the mystery of Christ. 

Psychologically, it is also important that we prepare our souls as the seven angels prepare the world to return our home in New Eden, in reading the Book of Revelation.  The cleansing the world by the seven angels must concur the internal purification of our soul in order to reach our home in New Eden – internally and externally, through Christ’s apocalyptic guidance in the Book of Revelation. 

The internal cleansing process, which we must embark to purify our soul in order to return home,  shall put us series of tribulations and trials as the world will go through series of seven-fold battles with devils and his collaborators.  Namely, this is our process of metanoia, which Filipino Catholic theologian, Jose DeMesa, framed with “pagbabalik-loob”.  Indeed, our path of “pagbabalik-loob” may come with many challenges – perhaps, seven-fold.

The Filipino (Tagalog) word, “Pagbabalik-loob”,  literally means returning to our true self.  So, what is our true self – our true identity? 

It is our “kapwa”(self-identity in object relation)  found in our covenant with God, rooted in imago Dei (the image of God), in which we are created (Genesis 1:27).  Therefore, in our “pagbabalik-loob” efforts, while the seven angels work hard to cleanse the world through seven seals, the seven trumpets, the seven bowls, we must restore our damaged covenant, wounded object relation, with God, by repenting our sin and receiving the absolution through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  After all, this is our efforts to restore our “kapwa” with God.  

Further spiritual purification of our soul through appropriate spiritual disciplines, such as the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, is also helpful for our “pagbaballik-loob” efforts to return home in New Eden – to dwell in the Father’s house. 

Let the Book of Revelation be our powerful inspiration to break ourselves free from the vicious cycle of sinning-angering God-reconciling-sinning.  Unless this vicious cycle is completely broken, we cannot attain our “loob”, our true innermost self,  in “pakikipag-kapwa” (harmoniously shared object relation) with God.  Likewise, unless we free ourselves completely from this vicious cycle, we cannot dwell in the New Eden that will come with Christ’s return, which is in Christ’s promise as he ascends. 

In thinking of breaking the vicious cycle that we have been going through for many generations – ever since Adam and Eve’s eviction from the original Eden,  a lesson the Book of Revelation offers echoes the Gautama (Shakamuni) Buddha’s teaching on liberating ourselves from the vicious cycle of transmigration of the soul – the vicious cycle of birth-rebirth – samsara.  

We continue to suffer unless we break free from the cyclical nature of samsara – unless we attain the Buddhahood through awakening, according to Buddhist teaching. 

All these sin-God’s anger-punishment- reconciliation-sin cycles found in the canonical books in the Bible upon Original Sin of Adam and Eve is like samsara of the humans.  Therefore,  attaining “pagbabalik-loob”,  as our internal preparation for Parousia and the New Eden,  parallels the Buddhist’s spiritual efforts to attain the Buddhahood through awakening to the Dharma to be free from samsara.  This is the path toward nirvana (eternal and profound peace) through moksha (liberation).

In the Pure Land Buddhist’s view, those who have attained the Buddhahood through awakening to the Dharma will enter the Pure Land. This is very similar to the Christian eschatological and apocalyptic view we can draw from the Book of Revelation as I have described above.

Scripture Reflection for 5th Sunday of Easter Year C - New Command of Jesus (Agape) and the Kingdom of God

Background of This Sunday’s Readings:

Last Sunday’s Gospel reading has reminded us that the Father and Jesus are one (John 10:30). It means that Jesus bears the quality of the Father. Jesus spoke of this self-identification with the Father to explain why he identifies himself as the Good Shepherd, who lays his life for his sheep – his people. It means that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who lays his own life for his sheep, because he and the Father are one – as he shares the one power with the Father. 

This Sunday’s Gospel reading (John 13:31-33a, 34-35) further explores Jesus’ uniquely relationship in unity with the Father. 

The setting is Jesus’ discourse during Last Supper – shortly after Jesus washed his disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17).  He said to the disciples, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once” (John 13:31-32). 

The glorification means the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ to save us. Thus, when Jesus said about “glorification”, it did not simply mean “being praised”.  It implies that glorification of Jesus, through his death and resurrection, means glorification of the Father in Jesus. Thus, the glorification of Jesus is not only to save us but also to glorify the Father in him. Not to mention, Jesus was not seeking his own glorification at all.  This was made evident when Jesus was speaking to the Jews: “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me,” (John 8:54); "But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges,”(John 8:50).  Ultimately, it is for the Father, whom he is in one with. 

Because Jesus’ glorification comes with his own death, he had to foretell the disciples about his imminent death;” My children, I will be with you only a little while longer,”(John 13:33).  This means that Jesus’ discourse during Last Supper, including today’s Gospel reading , is his farewell speech to his beloved disciples. This is like a dying person is peaking to his or her immediate family members while he or she still can, before the last breath, passing on something important to his or her beloved family members.  If you have been there for someone important dying, I am sure you have felt intense love during this person’s words during  his or her very last hour on earth.  This Sunday’s Gospel reading can give us a very similar nuance. 

As the end of his time before his glorification is fast approaching, Jesus wanted to give his beloved disciples the most important commandment; “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another,”(John 13: 34). 

In Depth with This Sunday’s Readings:

Jesus’ new commandment during Last Supper discourse echoes Jesus’ explanation of washing his disciples’ feet earlier: “Do you realize what I have done for you?  You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.  I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do,”(John 13:12-15).  This indicates that Jesus washed his disciples’ feet earlier during Last Supper because he wanted to demonstrate what he was about to tell, the new commandment– to love one another as he has loved the disciples.  

Of course, in the original Greek text, the love in Jesus’ new commandment means “agape” (ἀγαπᾶτε  in John 13:34)– the kind of love Jesus was expecting from Peter in his three-fold question if Peter loves (ἀγαπᾷς ) him (John 21: 15-17 in 3^rd Sunday of Easter).  

Whenever Jesus talks about love, he means “agape”.  Thus, the kind of love that Jesus commands comes with self-sacrifices.  And keeping this command of agape is the essence of our Christian identity as indicated in John 13:35.  Therefore, our discipleship can demands us to endure many hardships, which comes with our self-sacrifices, so that we may enter the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22), as read in the first reading this Sunday.

Not to Confuse Trinitarian Unity and the Divine-Human Unity in the Kingdom of God:

For those who endure challenges in following Jesus’ commandment of agape, the Kingdom of God, as described in this Sunday’s second reading (Revelation 21:1-5a) is where we are led to.  This is where God live with the humans in harmony, like a husband and a wife living in unity.  This unity between the divinity and the humanity in the Kingdom of God, juxtaposed with an image of the Sacrament of Matrimony,  also reflects the union between Jesus, the Son, and the Father in heaven (John 10:30). However, there is a caution here not to confuse the Trinitarian indication in John 10:30 to this divine-human harmony with a metaphoric symbol of matrimonial sacramental union in Revelation 21:2.  

Theologically, the union between Jesus, the Son, and the Father in Trinity, indicated in John 10:3,  is on a different level from the union between the divinity and the humanity, indicated in Revelation 21:2.  A difficulty in interpreting John 10:30 was also alluded in C. S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”, because dualism is a culprit of having a hard time to accept Jesus’ divinity based on John 10:30 in light of Trinity. Certainly, this kind of difficulty stemming from dualism can make it difficult to appreciate a marriage-like union between the divinity and the humanity in the Kingdom of God described in Revelation 21:2.

An image of the Kingdom of God in Revelation 21:1-5a echoes an image from  Revelation 7:17, “For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes”, which we read last Sunday, as well as an image from Isaiah 25:8, “He will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces; The reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken”.

Approaching This Sunday’s Readings from a Japanese Shin Buddhist View:

There will be a refreshingly new start in the Kingdom of God, as everything in the old paradigm is gone, including stings of sins we had. Also, gone are suffering, death and grief. This is a new state attained through meaningfully enduring the paradigm of impermanence, which characterizes the World in John’s Gospel. 

What John symbolically describes as the World is like what Pure Land School of Buddhism, especially Japanese Shin Buddhism, describes as the “shigan/此岸 “of the River of Three Crossings or Sanzu River, (三途の川).   In John’s Gospel, the World is described as opposed to Heaven (the Kingdom of God).  For example, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him,”(John 1:9-10). In this, “he” means Jesus Christ, who is the light, as John 8:12 shows, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

The River of Three Crossings in Japanese Buddhism divides the shigan/此岸 , world of the living Bonpu/凡夫 (ordinary people with kleshas, not yet attaining bodhisattva status and awakening) and the world of those who have attaining Buddhahood by awakening or through passing the judgement upon death, called “higan/彼岸”, which also means Pure Land, where there is no suffering.  To put this in Christian view, the River of Three Crossing in Japanese Buddhism is whatever the demarcation between the World and the Kingdom of God.

In the Japanese Pure Land Buddhism view, Pure Land is free from the cycle of transgenerational reincarnation (輪廻転生), which is characterized with the Ten Spiritual Realms (十界), which includes the Six Lower Realms (六界), which includes hell (地獄), hunger（餓鬼）, animality（畜生）, and humanity（人界）.  Thus, there is no more transmigration of the soul once a person reaches the Pure Land, according to Pure Land Buddhism, upon successfully enduring the suffering of life (one of the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism) in the reality of impermanence in shigan.

This Sunday’s readings reflect Christians hope to enter into the Kingdom of God through keeping Jesus’ commandment of agape, enduring challenges of self-sacrifices, transcending everything in the World of impermanence, including suffering and death. This important message from this Sunday’s readings nicely echoes Japanese Pure Land Buddhism’s teaching on reaching Pure Land by successfully crossing the River of Three Crossings (Sanzu River) by attaining Buddhahood, which requires a meaningful endurance of a life of suffering (dukkha) and passing the judgement, through practicing the Dharma, which Gautama (Shakamuni) Buddha has taught. 

For Japanese Shin Buddhism, besides practicing the Dharma, as taught by Buddha (historical Buddha), following the immeasurable light of Amitabha Buddha with Nembutsu/念仏, by invoking the word, Namu Amidabutsu/南無阿弥陀仏,with sincerely humility, can  lead us to Pure Land, successfully crossing the River of Three Crossings. For Christians, the path to the Kingdom of God is attained  by following this simple new command of Jesus: love one another with agape as he has loved, enduring sufferings and tribulations that the agape requires. Because Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), we, the sheep, must listen to and follow this Shepherd’s command as he leads us to the Kingdom.  

For Buddhists, Amitabha (Amida) Buddha is the guiding light, while Christ is the guiding light (i.e. John 8:12) to the Christians, to transcend the reality of impermanence, the reality of suffering, in “shigan” in Japanese Buddhism or the World in Christianity.

It seems that the teaching of Jesus found in this Sunday’s readings elaborates Buddhist teaching with agape, especially its transcendental and salvific nature.