Each swept floor prompts another sweep. Every child bathed invites another washing. Every lawn mowed requires another mowing. Every breath taken requires another breath.

The sun ascends each morning and sets every evening. The moon shines each night. Tides ebb and flow every day. Birds sing wonderful songs today and sing them again tomorrow.

Oysters open their shells when the moon is high in the sky. The chambered nautilus forms a new chamber in its spiraled shell each lunar month.

When we breathe, we do not stop breathing because we have taken in all of the oxygen we will ever need. We stop because we have all the oxygen we need for that particular breath.

When we exhale we stop exhaling so we can prepare for the next inhalation. We will need to repeat the process; however, no matter how perfectly we have inhaled and exhaled.

What these scenarios are telling us is what is finished invites refinishing.

So what do we do after we become enlightened? We become more enlightened. Once we are aware that we are one with the Infinite Isness we are prone to think we are finished, that we are finished, that we have reached the pinnacle of our perfection.

But nothing can be further from the truth. There is a Zen saying which goes like this: Before enlightenment, mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers. At the moment one is enlightened, mountains are no longer mountains and rivers cease to be rivers. After enlightenment, mountains are again mountains and rivers are once more rivers.

A current version of this Zen koan comes from Unity minister, Jim Rosemergy who reminds us: “Mystics do not turn from the world once they turn to God. They remain in the world but not of the world. Even mystics have bills to pay.”

Once we are enlightened, that is, once we positively, absolutely, unequivocally realize we are God expressing as us, we stay in the world, but not of the world to demonstrate to others the path of enlightenment.

That is our spiritual mission: to fully express our divinity and help others to do the same. It is the same commission expressed in Matthew 28:19-20.

We will share the New Revised Standard Version and then offer an ontological version from the New Metaphysical Version of Matthew to add spiritual depth.

After His resurrection Jesus announced to His disciples in verse 19:

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

Metaphysically Jesus was referring to three specific nations: our body, mind, and soul. Baptizing the nations signifies purifying our body, mind, and soul from unhealthy sense attachments.

We are to do this ‘in the ‘name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.’ Name signifies ‘in the nature of.’ And, ontologically speaking Father, Son, and Holy Spirit represent the three aspects of Divine Order (Mind, Idea, and Expression).

So, we are to cleanse our body, mind, and soul by becoming one with the nature of the Christ Presence within us so we can divinely order our experience.

Matt. 20 says in the New Revised Standard Version: “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you, remembering that I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”"

Metaphysically ‘teach them’ means to walk our talk with integrity. ‘I am with you always’ means we have an indivisible, unshakable, universal oneness with Spirit. To the ‘end of the world’ means moving from one level of spiritual awareness to another.

Matthew 20 means we are to walk our talk by letting our Christ Light shine as we achieve one level of enlightenment, one level of completion, to another.

So, what will we do after we are enlightened?

We stay in the world but not of the world. We live as monks and mystics in cities, towns, and communities.

We light up the world with our example. Like the enlightened beings who became enlightened before us we will teach others how to teach others.

We will appear as typical men and women, but our values and the manner in which we live, move, and have our being will show our surrender to our higher calling.

We might have human challenges, but we will not be subdued by them. We may wear glasses or contact lenses, hearing aids or artificial heart valves, but we will not be defined by them.

We may take medicine or require hospitalization, but we will not be incarcerated by them. We may experience a world that is not perfect, but we will not be limited by that imperfection.

We will be in the finishing and refinishing business. We will pot and repot ourselves daily. We will renew and keep renewing ourselves. We will tool and re-tool ourselves constantly.

We will continue to seek enlightenment because enlightenment is a verb, not a noun. It is a process, an unfolding, and a movement from one exhilarating level of consciousness to another.

Drs. Bil & Cher Holton are Spiritual Leaders at Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, NC, where they practice positive, practical, progressive Christianity. Visit their website at Unity Spiritual Life Center and sign up to receive a complimentary 4-week e-course.

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Filed under: Consciousness • Metaphysical Bible Interpretation • Spiritual Growth

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