The Temple

I came upon the Carlsbad Cavern Cave upon the recommendation from a co-worker. As i made my journey through the cave, a motto I found read “enjoy that cavern at your own pace”. I began noticing the pace I was walking at, and was surprised how fast it was. At this rate i’d be done with the cave walk in 30 minutes! No, I wanted to be more present. So i slowed down. And as I slowed down my surroundings became more still. And as my surroundings became more still, I could see them clearer. And as I saw them clearer, I realized the wide spectrum of scale with which our Creator operates in.

A child walking behind me with amusement in her tone, whispered to whom I assume was her sibling, “he’s walking so slow!”. I chuckled.

Walking now a step at a time, my head felt like a camera on a gimbal and what laid before my eyes was a like cinematic view from a movie; a story.

I pondered on what that story was about and why it was created. The formations in the cave were all clues. That in combination with the story of the gospel. And that in combination with the story of the relationships I’ve held. And that in final combination what I had thought my role in all these stories were.

Here may be a glimpse of what the story is.

In the beginning earth was just water. Formless water. And there was a separation through that water that placed water now on top and water on bottom. We call this now atmosphere and ocean. In the cave it was stalagmaites and stalactites. This separation caused the earth to rotate creating days and nights. Now with the water above and water below, they began to drip in a particular motion and form. over years and years, all the water dripped in a particular fashion repeatedly. And over millions of years of the same repetition came shape, and shape became matter. And there was now shaped matter. And from all this shaped matter, the. shape looked like animals, plants, trees, flowers, bugs, mountains, landscapes, organs, humans, symbols, cars, computers, and science. And from all these figures came embedded within them stories. Stories of construction and destruction.

Every story that could ever exist was captured in these solidified forms. These stonesZ And God breathed life in to these stones. Now all things were alive, but man was breathed the divine life. Able to know good and evil. Able to know the story set before him.

And the story he saw was one of a beautiful place tainted by evil and destruction. It was filled. with vicious cycles and beautiful revolutions. One that no-one could’ve just thought of if they were not shown.

I continued to walk through the cave and I thought to myself about the cost of discovery. How ages ago, if a person were to stumble on this cave and walk through it as I did, they would’ve had a much more revelatory experience. But very few there were who did, for technology had not progressed to do so safely, affordably, and comfortably. And here I was, waltzing right in.

Then I pondered how we have such accessibility to this cave, but I have the feeling that we are not all witnessing what is actually before us. Jesus once talked how the people would ask for a sign, but a sign was already given. That how if the people of generations before were able to see the things they now saw they would’ve repented and glorified God. (Matthew 11:20–24). And i thought my hardness of heart would not allow me to fully take in what was before me.

I thought how Jesus went to the mountains and secluded himself, and that the son of God, with to which all things serve, was surely allowing the mountain to serve him on those journeys. All the curves, edges, evergreen, life, hills, and valleys. And how the service of the mountain, in combination with Jesus’ all knowing power of our story revealed many things in those moments. Then I fast forwarded to how Jesus now lived within us, to allow us to experience as he did.

And I did get a glimpse of Jesus within me, and my eyes would see marvelous things. But my soul would ever so often wander and think of worldly things of unimportance. I would think of the logistics. I would think of if I was walking too slow.

A man i walked in front of whispered under his breath that i was a “fucking dumbass. And that I was stupid”. I later assumed he was trying to take a picture, and I got in front of his view. And from his negative reaction, a slip of anxious thoughts came in my head. I immediately tried to justify my actions. “Im going at my own pace. I was not aware he was trying to take a picture for the cave was very dark. I feel sorry that that’s the reaction you have here. What a sorry life”.. and the destructive thoughts would creep in.

But Jesus made the “dumb” speak (mark 7:37). And I was dumb in this mans eyes. But In my soul I could speak. And my soul spoke. And said to me to let this grievance go. And so i did, and I continued my slow walk and continued to resume enjoyment in the sights before me.

A particular story of Jesus followed me a long here. It was when his disciples and followers gathered around him, and one of his disciples asked who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And Jesus brought a child in the center to point to that which is the greatest. And he warned the people to not let these little ones stumble. And that it would be better for the ones who cause the stumbling to be tied to large rock and thrown in the ocean to drown.

And as I pondered on this story, I passed a child and a stalagmite was both in our frame of view. The stalagmite had a peculiar shape to it. One that resembled an old man with a large beard wearing a coned shaped hat. And I thought about saying “hey look, its santa clause”.

Now I thought this would be humorous to the parents and maybe even for the child, and some naiveness of mine led me to believe that me saying this might lead the child to see the world in a particular way, and from there would lead the child to God.

But then I flipped the perspective and thought that the comment would have traumatized the child. For the child may have already been gazing at the stalagmite with joy and with their own revelation. And the introduction of some cartoon-ized hyperreal idea of santa pervades their soul. And from the perversion, would come to the child now an image of a stoned figure, morbid looking, and disformed. The child would cry and would soon want to leave.

I soon realized what Jesus meant by causing the little ones to stumble. Shame came in to my heart, and I was glad I had not said what I might’ve. I thought how I had a long ways to go in my sanctification.

As I entered the more lower part of the cave, much of the surroundings resembled body parts. I felt as if i was walking through the inside of a body. Then I thought of the magic school bus t.v show for kids, and how some of the episodes were about traveling through the inner body on a tiny school bus. But that thought was clinging a little longer than what i’d would like to. Now I could only imagine magic school bus episodes. And then I wondered if man-made inventions like t.v shows caused the children to stumble.

I eventually moved past that damn show, and continued to think I was on the inside of a stomach. Many of the shapes were innuendos, but I tried to look past the humor of it and see the greater implication.

I recall the apostle Paul saying “do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?” (1 cor 16:19).

I think to myself about thinking. About consciousness, about my soul. I recalled that when I was calm, i felt more healthy. I recall miracles done in cancer patients, and how they were healed by thought. And this led me to believe that my body is a manifestation of my soul.

And right now I was internally looking inside the stomach. I thought how the current form of my surrounding gave thought to the navigability of it. How the shape of it could be formed and transformed in a way so that navigating through this cave would be no easy task.I began picturing structures falling, openings closing, bridges collapsing.

Then I thought back to that belief that my body was a manifestation of my soul. Jesus said once “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (matthew 18:18). Understood.

Okay, so body is temple, temples are a place where Heaven and Earth are united, my body is a manifestation of my soul, and my soul can do this thing called “bind”.

My soul binded a bit to the man who cursed at me in the cave, but it loosened that. My soul binds to the comment the child made earlier to me. When that was bound, I felt at peace. I then believed that Christ’s teachings are truly what allows my soul to loosen.

At the tail end of my walk, I yearn for Christ to continue giving peace to my soul. I know it will be a pbattle, but the temple’s structure is dependent on it.

I finish my walk through the cave with a feeling of awe, reverence, and appreciation.

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