Holger:
What does Joel teach about a “relationship with Christ/God?” In simple words for a person with no specific mystical background.
notebooklm.google.com:
Joel Goldsmith teaches that a relationship with God is not a connection between two separate people, but rather a realization of oneness. To understand this in simple terms, he suggests looking at the relationship between a wave and the ocean or a sunbeam and the sun—they are not two different things, but one expressing itself as the other.
God Is Not “Out There”
The most common mistake people make is thinking of God as a separate person “up in the sky” or in a temple while we are “down here” on earth. Joel describes this as a “pagan” or “Santa Claus” concept of God, where people try to influence, plead with, or bribe a distant deity to get what they want. In reality, the “Kingdom of God” is located entirely within your own consciousness.
The Meaning of the Indwelling Christ
Joel uses the term “Christ” to describe the indwelling Presence or the “Son of God” that lives within every person.
- A Mediator: This inner Presence acts as a link or “connecting link” between your outer human self and the infinite Source.
- The Real “I”: The most intimate part of this teaching is that the “I” of your very being is God. When you say “I,” you are not just referring to a body or a name, but to the actual life and mind of God functioning as you.
How to Practice This Relationship
A relationship with God is built through a practice called “tabernacling” or communion.
- Listening, Not Asking: Instead of telling God what you need, you adopt a receptive, listening attitude, essentially saying, “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth”.
- Seeking the Presence: You do not go to God for a “God-power” to fix your problems or give you material things. You go simply to experience the feeling of the Presence itself, trusting that God’s grace is already “sufficient” for all your needs.
A Bond with All People
Because God is the one life and one mind of every individual, finding your relationship with God automatically connects you to everyone else. Joel teaches that there is an invisible spiritual bond between all people, meaning that we are all members of one “spiritual household”. When you recognize the Christ in yourself, you begin to see that same divine identity in your family, your neighbors, and even your enemies.