The conceptually Meta Canon, as a humanly-compiled and non-institutionalizable inventory of core texts that have shaped human history, is not immune to inconsistencies, contradictions, or human error. These discordant elements can pose significant challenges to the seeker of Wisdom and Truth, as they seem to stand at odds with the various claims of universally applicable and inerrant Divine Wisdom. Yet, from an ontological perspective steeped in Divine Wisdom and Love, these seeming imperfections serve as openings—portals that invite deeper inquiry, nuanced understanding, and ultimately, reconciliation in partnership with the Spirit of God. Not not be feared, but rather actively discovered, articulated, and embraced, it is precisely these Challenges and Obstacles that present us with a Way towards The Goal.
Difference, in its myriad forms—whether contradiction, inconsistency, or apparent error—serves as an ontological gateway to deeper realms of understanding, information, and knowledge. One might say that difference functions as the "problem" that catalyzes the "solution," akin to the sand particle that irritates the oyster into creating a pearl. Difference challenges the mind to seek reconciliation and, in doing so, to voyage beyond its previous boundaries of comprehension towards the deeper Wisdom and Truth that reconcile and illuminate the more surficial contradictions.
This is not just a matter of resolving contradictions within a single text or between multiple texts, but a broader, more profound undertaking. In seeking to expose and reconcile differences, we are invited into a dialogue not only with the authors behind these texts but also with the Reality they seek to describe and influence, and Ultimately with its Source. This involves an empathetic, yet critically rigorous engagement that compels us to examine our own preconceptions, cognitive frameworks, religious and ideological upbringings, and spiritual insights.
Through this engagement, Difference becomes a form of inquiry, a method of questioning that reveals deeper layers of reality previously unnoticed or misunderstood. Since God is not confused, if we are confused or perceive spiritual or cognitive dissonance it reveals an opening to move closer to the Wisdom and Perspective of God that allow allow us to come into greater Rest, Harmony, and Coherence. It pushes us towards a more integrative cognition, where differing viewpoints at the shallower levels easily co-exist in a complex, yet harmonious, intellectual and spiritual ecology unified at far Deeper levels. The acceptance and thoughtful contemplation of these contradictions or differences often result in an emergent Wisdom—illuminations that transcend and include the differing elements, providing a more holistic and nuanced understanding. When we then come back to seminal statements, such as Jesus's remark that all the law and prophets hang upon two statements: Love God, and Love your Neighbor as your Self, we understand that the thousands of lower laws and verses describing in detail how to live out the Law and Love of God in a specific context, time and place are integrated and resolved by Spirit and Principles, and ultimately in the character and nature of God.
This venture into the realm of Difference is guided by the ever-present and unchanging Spirit of God, an eternal and infallible 'north star' directing us toward Ultimate Truth and Ultimate Reality. As we confront these divergent elements—seemingly disparate or paradoxical—we gain navigational experience that enriches our understanding, not just of the text in isolation, but of the intricate, interconnected web of Reality itself. It is an exercise that demands the full engagement of our intellectual, emotional, and spiritual faculties, carried out in the awareness of God's omnipresent Wisdom and Love, and guided by the Spirit of God.
By fully engaging with Difference, we prepare the ground for the dialectical synthesis, dynamic revelation, contextual reconciliation, spiritual resonance, and wisdom-guided navigation that follow. These are not isolated strategies but interlocking pieces of a grand puzzle, a multi-faceted, Divine plan that draws us closer to the ultimate goals of Wisdom, Justice, and the progressive unification of spirit and consciousness with God. Through this complex, yet profoundly rewarding process, we not only make peace with the apparent "differences" in our sacred canons but learn to see them as stepping stones on our journey toward the Ultimate Wisdom and Truth of God, that remains eternally and ineffably beyond our shallow human attempts to semantically describe it.
In the dialectical tradition, contradictions are not stumbling blocks but stepping stones. They provide the intellectual tension needed to ascend to a higher synthesis, much like the opposition between thesis and antithesis. From the standpoint of divine Wisdom, contradictions within or among canonical texts may serve to delineate the boundaries of human understanding or to signal where human interpretation has entered the picture, skewing the original divine message. Consequently, the goal becomes one of discernment: to separate the wheat of Divine Inspiration and Truth from the chaff of human fallibility.
Consider the notion of "progressive revelation," prominent in several spiritual traditions, which posits that Divine Wisdom is revealed progressively over time, fine-tuned to the comprehension capabilities and needs of specific individuals, tribes, cultures and eras. In this context, earlier declarations might be conditioned or even superseded by later revelations. Seen this way, contradictions are not flaws but indicators of a dynamic, ongoing dialogue between God and humanity.
Another avenue for dealing with inconsistencies is to examine them contextually. Many so-called contradictions evaporate when contextual factors—such as linguistic nuances, historical settings, or rhetorical strategies—are taken into account. This calls for a sophisticated, interdisciplinary approach that draws on linguistics, anthropology, history, and philosophy, to reconcile seemingly inconsistent or contradictory passages by the Spirit and Wisdom of God.
Returning to the criterion of Spiritual Resonance within our triaxial methodology, one can also use the 'feel' or 'intuition' of a text’s spiritual power to navigate through its apparent inconsistencies. Often, the spirit of a teaching is clearer than its letter. The inner wisdom that aligns with the Spirit of God can guide us toward a harmonious interpretation even when the surface text seems fraught with contradictions, or when we feel the human personality, fears, or desires of the author seeping in and mingling with the purity of the Divine. By the Spirit of God within us, we can sense and feel how purely the words we are reading harmonize with the Fundamental Tone of the Creator.
In grappling with these challenging facets of the conceptual and living Meta Canon, the tools of Wisdom and Discernment become invaluable. This Wisdom does not merely belong to the realm of the intellect but incorporates the intuitive and the spiritual as its most important features. The navigation through inconsistencies becomes a journey of transformation, a pilgrimage toward a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of Divine Wisdom, Justice, Truth, and Love, and ultimately the Knowledge of God.
By acknowledging and actively engaging with the inconsistencies, human errors, and contradictions within the Meta Canon, we are not diluting the authority of the word or challenging Divine Inspiration, but deepening and clarifying our relationship with it in the Wise and mature way the Creator intends. Just as subsequent study clarifies the simplified "truths" revealed to us in elementary school without negating them, so too are we clarifying our Knowledge of God as we advance as a human species from the elementary articulations that guided and shepherded us as children into fuller spiritual maturity. This more sophisticated dialectical and ontological approach, constrained by the fear of God rather than the fear of man or institution, allows us to sift through the multi-layered, polyphonic chorus of voices to hear the underlying, unifying melody of Divine Wisdom spoken over the millennia by the Voice of God. It compels us to wrestle with the texts, much as Jacob wrestled with the angel, not to subdue them but to draw forth their deepest blessings. We who wrestle with God must also learn to competently wrestle with the words uttered in His Name. It is audacious and dangerous, yet it is also a necessary and Good part of our shared Quest towards The Goal.
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