What kind of universe did Jesus live in that made him see and act so differently? We’ve suggested in these posts that it was a “oneness” universe rather than a “two-ness” one.
As discussed, during the Enlightenment era we had to see reality like this…
But in these posts, we’ve revisited the wisdom of both our spiritual ancestors, and our quantum physicists.
In the West, we are coming to understand the universe more deeply. This is throwing Western society into a tumult as we scurry to catch up to our new reality. This in turn, is demanding that we (the Christian Church) update the way we tell our Story.
It has always been the responsibility of those born into seasons of worldview shift, to update the Christian Story for the newly emerging reality. It’s what the Reformers did when Newton updated the universe 500 years ago. It’s what is required of us now that Einstein and Heisenberg have done the same.
This moment in history demands brand new ways of thinking about our physical world; brand new ways of thinking about human nature; and consequently, brand new ways of thinking about religion. This is a profound opportunity for Christians to expand and deepen the way we tell our Story of God, Jesus, and the Bible.
And oneness vs. twoness will be at the center of our retelling.
Imagine reality, not as the image above, but like this…
You and I are not separate and distinct entities; we are connected; aspens, not oaks. I am an expression of the same essence as you are. As Christians, we could call this underlying essence, “the Divine breath.” That’s the way our Story begins; you and me both animated by the same breath. Yes, we are different; but in another way, we are the same – both manifestations of the same underlying breath; one the same way matter and energy are one.
In a real way we didn’t use to intuit, I am you, and you are me; a oneness.

And we, being many, are one body… (Paul)
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Our changing universe changes our fundamental assumptions. We stop seeing ourselves as discreet packets of otherness. We stop seeing ourselves disconnected from one another, and from everything else.
That ancient poem that begins our Story says as much: the same breath that animated you and me, also breathed the physical world into being. “Let there be…” the breath issued forth; “Let there be…” “Let there be.”
You, me, the earth, the sun, the stars… are all expressions of the same Divine breath, the same Divine essence.
Well…  that’s different!