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Built For Greatness
Mysterious Power of the Spirit: BFG Handbook Chapter 51 (Exploring Selfless Power)
Discover the highlights of this chapter shaping the New Evangelization today: https://www.builtforgreatness.com/tao-te-ching-chapter-51-mysterious-power-of-the-spirit/
What does it mean to have power that creates without possessing, acts without credit, and nurtures without dominating? We're diving deep into the mysterious power of the spirit, examining a fascinating intersection where Christian perspective meets Taoist wisdom.
Starting with the profound statement that "God creates all living things, Spirit nurtures them, matter shapes them, nature completes them," we explore how reverence arises naturally rather than through obligation. This power operates not through force or control but through gentle, transformative influence – a stark contrast to typical human conceptions of power that revolve around dominance and recognition.
The conversation takes a practical turn as we unpack the Trinitarian MAP (Mindset, Aim, Practice) framework that offers concrete applications for these spiritual concepts. We examine four essential mindsets: reverence and alignment with purpose, selfless service and humility, trust in unseen work, and responsible stewardship. Each mindset transforms how we approach everything from business decisions to leadership roles, from facing uncertainty to caring for our resources.
Most fascinating of all, we discover how these core principles – creation, humility, trust, and responsibility – find remarkable parallels across major world religions. Despite different expressions and beliefs, there's an underlying unity in how humans understand our relationship to something greater than ourselves. This recognition offers a bridge across different faith traditions and invites us to consider: How might approaching challenges with less striving and more trust change our lives? What might we learn from traditions different from our own? And how could embracing these principles help us find greater connection with others? Join us for this thought-provoking exploration of power redefined.
Ever stop to wonder about the really big questions, like what actually sparks life? Is there some kind of blueprint for our purpose? Or maybe there are unseen currents shaping our world, things we don't fully grasp.
Speaker 2:Well, those are exactly the kinds of questions at the heart of what we're exploring today. We've got a really fascinating source. It's a chapter from a book called built for god, the bfg movement bfg and it's basically a christian perspective on the wisdom of the tao teaching oh, interesting. Okay, you have my attention yeah, so we're focusing on chapter 51, which is titled mysterious power of the spirit okay and we're also diving into its uh companion sections they call them renewalewal and Respond.
Speaker 1:Right. So chapter 51, Mysterious Power of the Spirit, and then these two other sections. What do they each add?
Speaker 2:Well, chapter 51, that kind of lays down the foundational ideas you know about creation, the spirit's role, that sort of thing, the core message Exactly. Then the Renewal section section, it takes those ideas and offers like a practical method for spiritual growth. They frame it as something called the trinitarian map mindset and then respond. That section kind of broadens the view. It looks at how the themes from chapter 51 well, how they echo in other major world religions got it.
Speaker 1:So our goal today is to really dig into this chapter right, Figure out what it's saying about this mysterious power of the spirit, but from this Christian viewpoint. Then see how this MAP thing gives us a way to maybe apply it in our own lives.
Speaker 2:Yeah, make it practical.
Speaker 1:And then step back and look for those connections, those overlaps with other faiths Sounds like a plan. Let's start with the core, then.
Speaker 2:Chapter 51,. What's the central idea? Okay, so the chapter opens with this really fundamental statement. It says God creates all living things. Spirit nurtures them, matter shakes them, nature completes them.
Speaker 1:Wow, okay, that sets a big stage right away. Collaborative process.
Speaker 2:It really does. And right from that the chapter says collaborative process it really does. And right from that the chapter says therefore, all things honor God and value the spirit. The honor to God, the value of spirit is not by force but is spontaneously natural.
Speaker 1:Spontaneously natural, not forced.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It suggests this reverence, this honoring. It isn't commanded, it just sort of arises organically from how things are. That's honoring. It isn't commanded, it just sort of arises organically from how things are.
Speaker 1:That's interesting. It really shifts it away from feeling like an obligation, doesn't?
Speaker 2:it. It does More towards an inherent appreciation.
Speaker 1:So how does the chapter then describe the spirit's role in this, this sort of natural honoring?
Speaker 2:Well, it uses these really powerful phrases like creates without possessing them, without possessing Right, and acts without taking credit. Okay and nurtures without dominating, creates without possessing them without possessing right and acts without taking credit.
Speaker 1:Okay and nurtures without dominating creates without possessing, acts without credit, nurtures without dominating. That paints a picture of well power. That's totally selfless precisely.
Speaker 2:It's deeply involved, but with no need for ownership or control, just influence, care and it connects this description oh yeah, it brings in references like references like Romans 8 about the spirit helping us in our weakness. It supports that idea of unseen, selfless support.
Speaker 1:That's a really different way of thinking about power, isn't it? Not something you wield over others, but something you pour out. So this mysterious power of the spirit, it's not this big, loud, forceful thing, it's subtle, transformative from within.
Speaker 2:That's the idea. The text itself calls it the mysterious power of the Spirit, and you know the authors ground this. They connect it back to Christian scripture throughout.
Speaker 1:How so.
Speaker 2:It points to Revelation 4, emphasizing God as the worthy creator. That links right back to the start.
Speaker 1:Right. The creation part.
Speaker 2:And Genesis 2, god breathing life into humanity. That's in there to the start, Right the creation part. And Genesis 2, god breathing life into humanity. That's in there. And 1 John talking about love coming from God linked to the spirit. Matthew 11 offering rest, 1 Corinthians about the diverse gifts of the spirit for the common good. Lots of connections, yeah, they weave it together to support the core message God creates the spirit gently, nurtures, acts selflessly, and its influence is vital, even if it's often unseen.
Speaker 1:Okay, I think I'm getting a clearer picture. God initiates, the spirit, nurtures in this selfless, almost invisible way, and the world naturally responds.
Speaker 2:That's a good summary of the chapter's thrust.
Speaker 1:So now this renewal section. How does it take these frankly quite profound ideas and give us something practical, this Trinitarian MAP?
Speaker 2:Right, okay. So from there the text shifts gears a bit. It introduces this concept of renewal, renewal, and it presents a method for it, called the Trinitarian MAP. That's M-A-P for Mindset, aim and Practice.
Speaker 1:Mindset, aim, practice, all shaped by what was it? Love, trust and Faith.
Speaker 2:Exactly God's love, trust in the Son, faith in the Holy Spirit. So let's just focus on the M for now. The mindset part. It outlines four key mindsets needed for this renewal.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's walk through those mindsets. The first one reverence and aligning with God's purpose. It connects to that line about honoring God, naturally. What does that actually look like?
Speaker 2:So this mindset encourages cultivating a deep, underlying respect for God in everything. In everything, yeah, and recognizing that, aligning our actions with what we understand to be his will. Well, that's the natural way to live. It's making that spontaneous, honoring a conscious guide. Okay so practically like in daily life. Well, a real world example, they might suggest, is in our work making ethical business decisions, not just because rules say so, but because it flows from that deeper alignment right With your values, with God's principles.
Speaker 1:So it comes from the inside out.
Speaker 2:Exactly. They link it to scriptures like Matthew 6.10,. Your will be done and.
Speaker 1:Romans 12.1,. Offering our lives as a living sacrifice. Right Makes sense. What's the second mindset then?
Speaker 2:The second one focuses on selfless service and humility, and this draws directly from those lines Creates without possessing, acts without taking credit, nurtures without dominating.
Speaker 1:It's a selfless action part.
Speaker 2:It's about adopting this posture of humility, prioritizing serving others without needing the spotlight, you know, without feeling you have to control the outcome.
Speaker 1:That sounds challenging. Yeah, Especially in leadership roles maybe.
Speaker 2:It can be. The example given is like in leadership empowering your team, celebrating their successes instead of constantly seeking credit yourself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can see that Letting go of the ego a bit.
Speaker 2:Right and it echoes scriptures like Mark 9.35, where Jesus says the first must be the servant, and Philippians 2, valuing others above ourselves.
Speaker 1:Powerful stuff. Okay, mindset number three.
Speaker 2:The third is the mindset of trusting in the Spirit's unseen work. This comes right from that phrase. This is the mysterious power of the Spirit.
Speaker 1:Trusting the mystery.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's about faith, faith that God is working in ways we can't always see or, frankly, understand.
Speaker 1:So letting go of control again.
Speaker 2:Pretty much Letting go of the need to micromanage everything, trusting there's a bigger picture, especially when things are tough.
Speaker 1:That requires real faith. What scriptures support that?
Speaker 2:Things like Romans about being led by the Spirit and John 16.13, the Spirit guiding into truth. It's about reliance on that unseen guidance.
Speaker 1:It's easy to say trust, harder to do when things feel out of control.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. It's an active trust, not just passive acceptance. There's a difference.
Speaker 1:Good point. Active trust Okay, and the final mindset.
Speaker 2:The last one is responsibility and stewardship. This connects back to that whole sequence God creates, spirit, nurtures, matter, shapes, nature, completes.
Speaker 1:The whole creation picture Right.
Speaker 2:It calls us to recognize that our talents, resources, the environment, it's all, in this view, a gift from god and we have a responsibility responsibility to care for it, to nurture it wisely, be good stewards so that translates into what environmentalism finances both yeah, managing finances responsibly, making choices that protect the environment, things like that. It's supported by verses like Genesis 2.15, tending the garden and Psalm 24.1,. The earth is the Lord's.
Speaker 1:Okay, so these four mindsets reverence, alignment, selfless service, humility, trusting the unseen and stewardship.
Speaker 2:Exactly. The aim section is about setting your intention before you act, consciously aligning with these mindsets aiming for selfless service, aiming to trust, aiming to be responsible. And then practice is the how-to, specific ways to actually live out those aims daily. It makes the whole thing very grounded.
Speaker 1:A clear path.
Speaker 2:That's the goal of the framework.
Speaker 1:It's a really practical way to approach integrating these quite deep spiritual ideas. Now let's shift gears a bit. The respond section this is where we look outwards right, see how these ideas resonate with other faith.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly, respond is all about finding those threads of shared truth across different traditions. It uses those core statements from chapter 51 as the comparison points.
Speaker 1:I'm really curious about this part. Where do they start?
Speaker 2:They start with that foundational idea Divine origin, creation as the source of life. Using that first in line again, God creates all living things, spirit nurtures them. You know the rest.
Speaker 1:Right and where do they see parallels?
Speaker 2:Well, they point to Genesis 1.1, obviously key for both Christianity and Judaism. Then Quran, 32.4 in Islam, talking about God creating heavens and earth. In Hinduism, they reference the Bhagavad Gita, the idea of Brahman, as the ultimate source. For Buddhism, it's the principle of dependent origination, how everything arises, interconnectedly.
Speaker 1:So, different words, different concepts, but pointing to a similar idea of a source, an origin.
Speaker 2:Pretty much the shared link is this recognition of a divine or ultimate origin for everything, and flowing from that often is a respect for nature and life.
Speaker 1:It is amazing how common that basic idea is. Okay, what's the next connection they explore?
Speaker 2:The next one is humility and leadership in selfless service. This connects back to creates without possessing, acts without credit, nurtures without dominating.
Speaker 1:The selfless action theme again.
Speaker 2:And they find echoes in Matthew 20.26. In Christianity, the leader is servant. In Islam, quran 40.60, emphasizing humility before God. Hinduism's Bhagavad Gita, 3.19 on selfless action. Buddhism, often through quotes from figures like the Dalai Lama on compassion, and Judaism, maybe, matthew 23.11 about the greatest being the servant.
Speaker 1:So again, the language varies service, compassion, humility but the core value seems consistent Prioritizing others, acting without ego.
Speaker 2:That's the common thread. They highlight, yeah, a universal understanding of looking beyond oneself.
Speaker 1:Okay, what about that mysterious power, that unseen element? How does that show up elsewhere?
Speaker 2:For that one they use the line this is the mysterious power of the spirit, and they draw parallels to well in Christianity, 2 Corinthians 5.7,. Living by faith, not by sight.
Speaker 1:Faith in the unseen.
Speaker 2:Exactly In Islam Quran 25.58,. Trusting in the ever-living one. Hinduism's Bhagavad Gita 9.22,. The idea that the divine provides for those who trust. In Buddhism, it connects to practices like mindfulness and a kind of inherent trust in the way life unfolds.
Speaker 1:In Judaism, proverbs 3.5, trust in the Lord with all your heart. So, across the board, there's this element of relying on something beyond the purely tangible, beyond what we can easily see or control.
Speaker 2:Yes, a shared faith in unseen forces or principles. However, they're understood in each tradition.
Speaker 1:It's actually kind of comforting, isn't it? Seeing that shared reliance, yeah, okay, and the final parallel they draw.
Speaker 2:The last connection is stewardship, responsibility for the earth and life. Again, using that line about God creating spirit, nurturing nature, completing Back to the beginning Uh-huh, psalm 24.1 in Christianity the earth is the Lord's Quran. 45.13 in Islam, about God subjecting creation for humanity's benefit, implying responsibility, okay. Hinduism Bhagavad Gita, 12.1314, emphasizing compassion and non-harming towards all beings. Buddhism, often through quotes attributed to the Buddha, about caring for the earth.
Speaker 1:And Judaism, genesis 2.15, again, the command to work it and take care of it. So a very widely shared commitment, it seems, to caring for creation, being guardians.
Speaker 2:That's the takeaway Recognizing our role in looking after the planet and everything on it.
Speaker 1:It really is striking Seeing these fundamental values creation, humility, trust, stewardship echoed across such different paths.
Speaker 2:It really is. It makes you think, doesn't it, about maybe an underlying unity?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it suggests that despite all the different ways we express things, different beliefs, maybe there are these profound commonalities in how humans try to understand our place, our relationship to something bigger.
Speaker 2:I think that's what their response section is trying to illuminate.
Speaker 1:So, okay, as we wrap up this deep dive, we've looked at this Christian lens on the Tao Te Ching's chapter 51, the mysterious power of the spirit. We saw how the Trinitarian MAP gives a really concrete way to try and live that out the mindset aim practice framework right. And then we found these fascinating points of connection with islam, hinduism, buddhism, judaism, on really core ideas creation, humility, trust, responsibility.
Speaker 2:It's been quite a journey through these sources it really has and hopefully for you, listening, understanding these concepts both within the specific tradition and seeing the shared wisdom, maybe it offers a new perspective a new way to look at your own life, your actions yeah, and maybe your connection to something you know larger than yourself definitely food for thought.
Speaker 1:so, on that note, maybe here's a final thought for you to consider as you go about your day. Okay, given this emphasis we've discussed on gentle influence on the power of the unseen spirit, how might you approach a challenge you're facing right now? Could you bring a bit more trust in those subtle forces, less striving, maybe, or thinking about those shared principles across different faiths creation, humility, trust, stewardship. What's maybe one small step, just one, you could take today towards perhaps greater understanding or connection with someone whose background or beliefs are different from yours?
Speaker 2:Good questions to ponder.
Speaker 1:Something to let simmer.