After Death, II

SUN., AUG. 11, 1991, 6:21 AM
FARM, STUDY

Preparations are sufficient for this morning’s Forum. It would be good if these two Teachings could be part of what is heard, but that shall be unlikely. With a group this size your role is to be the facilitator, and you shall do this well. The questions you have prepared will be a helpful addition.

There is no standard happening after death. At one extreme are those who are quite spiritually conscious, who have appropriate expectations, and who even have some “memories” that help make the transition a very smooth one. These do not hang on to earth life but willingly drop their bodies… are even eager to return to realms from which they came. They have a sense of “coming home” which is quite fulfilled by the death experience.

At the other extreme are souls who have achieved no growth in earth life, have had no relationship with Me, and who expect nothing after death. Their negative expectations are so strong that they refuse to respond to stimuli and pass directly into a state of sleep. In between the extremes are many levels of consciousness and of willingness to experience continued growth. Remember your analogy of the military kids and the range of adaptation to Punahou that you observed… it is a rough but pertinent one. There is a vast range in willingness and capacity to adapt to life after death. And, interestingly, some who are not consciously ready for the death experience find that unconsciously they are, so when the conscious mind is stilled, at death, spirit takes over, and the person enters in fully, with only vague remembrances of reluctance.

So, you see that both Christian expectations are fulfilled. Some come on over fully conscious, have a reuniting with Me as the Spirit, as the Christ, or as One God, whatever is most familiar. Others expect to sleep until the trumpet sounds at the Second Coming, and so they do. Some of these sleep for awhile, but then realize it is not necessary, and thus they get on with spiritual development.

Yes, some do return to earth life in spirit form and do assist in the lives of some with whom they previously lived. Mostly this assistance is undramatic, but occasionally it is life-saving, which is obvious to the human being helped. You were aware of several ways in which Peter returned after his death. He wanted to let you know that he appreciated living with you for those nearly 18 years, and he used some gentle but effective means. Then he moved on, but he is still aware of how life goes for all of you.

How important is death and resurrection in My “story” of death? Bishop Sano spoke passionately about the need to acknowledge My death, as Jesus, before shouting Hallelujah! for the resurrection. I do not deny the importance of his position, but it is not the only Christian one. Just as some focus on sin rather than on forgiveness, some must suffer with My death. Yet others, like yourself, may “know the story” that death claimed Jesus’ body, but only for a bit more than a day. You know the resurrection is ultimate reality, so why give much attention to that temporary state of death in the remembrance? Bishop Sano is not wrong. His position is just different from yours.