Friday, December 29, 2006

Kant and John .2: There is a Mind of All Union


There is a mind of all union


By which this story is bound


Safeguarded by destiny from somber crime


Revealing in boldness both Christ and Time


Ferverent to hold the thread bare world of fine


And hug us by death, an undue vigil and sign



It is in the sense of disinterestedness that John's gospel brings forth the idea of the subjective overtaking the perfection of creation. John relates, in reflection of the Genesis story, " In the beginning the Word already was. The Word was in God's presence, and what God was, the Word was[,]" which illustrates a point in which the objective reality of creation is no longer the focus of what occurs in the beginning, but rather the emphasis becomes a direct appeal to the subjectivity of God (REB 1.1). His eternal attributes are established, and though presently separated from creation, through the lens of John, "[…] without him no created thing came into being" (REB John 1.3). So that when Christ is risen and is presented as the Logos or "The Word" there is a sense that the subjective element of God has in some way entreated into the objective world seeking a form of unity to it. The image of Christ in a garden standing with Mary Magdalene creates a metaphorical tie to the same image of Adam and Eve standing in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of the new creation of the objective. For, after six miracles, which one may take to correlate with the six days of creation, Christ and Mary are participating in a form of new creation that has been presented in light of the death and resurrection of Christ. So, the fragmented unity of God and man is restored to by the resurrection of Christ, but even more, the subjective portion of God's thinking existence has taken on objectivity and proves His power over it so that in some sense he overtakes and participates in the perfection of it. This is further related in the garden scene of John when the deified Christ says, "'[…] go to my brothers, and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God'" (REB John 20.22). Here John is revealing the mind of God, Christ as the embodiment of Logos, is creating a distinct equality with a lesser humanity. By allowing humanity to retain the same position as He himself has with the divine, there is a way in which Christ is pointing out and letting it be known that there is a new unity between the subjectivity of both man and deity; not only is the relationship now restored, but there comes unity in all levels of existence including the mind.



There is a mind of all union


By which this story is bound


Safeguarded by destiny from somber crime


Revealing in boldness both Christ and Time


Ferverent to hold the thread bare world of fine


And hug us by death, an undue vigil and sign

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