Combining a Superior Philosophy of Life,
Inspired Art of Living, and Deity Guidance
Into an Awesome New Personal Religion
Who was Rodan?
Rodan was an extraordinary philosopher of Jesus’ time and a follower of Jesus. He was ethnically a Greek. He was a Jew by religion, and a resident of Alexandria in Egypt. He visited Jesus’ camp at Bethsaida in Galilee for a period of several days and carefully observed the way Jesus lived his life. He commented on Jesus’ practices with strong approval as he exchanged ideas with some of Jesus’ apostles. The following observations come from those comments.
Rodan’s Philosophy of Living for Spiritual Goals
“My philosophy that the purpose of life is to grow to be like God gave me the urge to search for the realities of true and lasting attainment, the goal of becoming like God. But my urge to search lacked driving power; my quest suffered from the absence of certainty of direction. I did not know for certain where to find God. And these deficiencies have been abundantly supplied by this new teaching of Jesus, that we each have an inner teacher who will teach us God’s nature and lead us to God’s presence and Godlikeness. That this Inner Spirit, will guide us to elevation of our ideals, and settledness of our goals by our wholehearted joining in God’s purpose of uniting the entire universe by the attraction of love. Without doubts and misgivings, I can now wholeheartedly enter upon the eternal venture. I now have a settled goal and a reliable definition of direction.”
Art of Living – Author’s Comments
Your art of living involves exercising creativity in adjusting to present circumstances while maintaining loyalty to the ultimate objective, becoming good like God. Your art of living is the art of not losing your way while negotiating the disorderliness and confusion. It reconciles your ideals with the limitations of what is presently possible, the way things should be with the present situation. Your art of living applies your principles and habits of character (values) to define the correct present action for you.
Jesus’ Art of Living According to Rodan
Jesus’ art of living incorporated his prayer time, which was extensive. He used prayer to help him master dependable techniques for solving life’s problems.
Rodan said: “I am deeply impressed with the custom of Jesus in going apart by himself
- to engage in solitary consideration of the problems of living.
- to seek sources of wisdom and energy for meeting the many demands of social service.
- to enliven and deepen the supreme purpose of living (becoming like God) by actually subjecting the total personality to the consciousness of contacting with divinity.
- to grasp for possession of new and better methods of adjusting oneself to the ever-changing situations of living existence.
- to effect those vital reconstructions and readjustments of one’s personal attitudes which are so essential to enhanced insight into everything worthwhile and real.
- to do all of this with dedication to achieving God’s objective – to breathe in sincerity Jesus’ favorite prayer, “Not my will, but yours, be done.”
Author’s Comments – Spiritual Guidance
- What does it mean to “actually subject the total personality to the consciousness of contacting with divinity”?
Subjecting the whole personality is living life treating the spiritual dimension as real and present and interactive with us. The total personality includes everything you are and want and feel emotionally. Consciousness of contact with deity can be a feeling of calmness or it can be tingling excitement. But in any case, it is recognizably different and special. That special feeling is your proof that the spiritual realm is real and available and that you are part of it. - Does going apart with God “enliven and give greater meaning to the supreme purpose of living”? Character development by progressive adoption of deity virtues is the supreme purpose of living for those who choose to become like God.
- How do we go about fostering spiritual guidance and leading? Rodan observed that Jesus’ technique was to go apart and visit with God about everything. Is that the way for us?
- Ask your Inner Spirit to guide you how to incorporate contact with spirit into daily life. Be persistent. It will unfold, usually slowly and indistinctly, but eventually in robust fullness of conviction of living in the midst of celestial assistance and celestial family.
The benefits of spiritual contact to one’s art of living
Rodan said: “This worshipful practice of your Master brings:
- that relaxation which renews the mind.
- that illumination which inspires the soul.
- that courage which enables one bravely to face one’s problems.
- that self-understanding which obliterates debilitating fear.
- that consciousness of union with divinity which equips man with the assurance that enables him to dare to be Godlike.”
“And this philosophy of the right way to live – goals and values to become like God — plus the Jesus message of the guidance of God and the availability of God, constitute the new religion as I understand it.”
Rodan was talking about his philosophy of setting and pursuing the goal of Godlikeness linked to Jesus’ good news that we are children of God and can have a relationship of friendship and constant guidance from God. These and Jesus’ prayerful art of living constitute the fundamentals of a new religion that Jesus practiced and Rodan was advocating.
Summary:
Rodan found in Jesus’ message of the fatherhood of God and individual relationship with God the missing aspects of his philosophy of living. Rodan’s philosophy said that the individual’s goals should be to know God and to become like him. But his philosophy lacked the motivation and the means, the why and the how to do this. Rodan saw in Jesus’ art of living by active and intimate association with God and following the leading of God, the means to know and to become like God. He saw in Jesus’ revelation of the fatherhood of God the promise of a noble and grand destiny of service in achievement of God’s objectives, doing the will of God. This provides both the confirmation of the possibility of becoming like God and the motivation to engage in the effort. In the unification of these elements of philosophy, the good news that we are God’s children, and a spirit centered art of living, Rodan saw the essentials of a worthwhile new personal religion for everyone. And what an awesome religion it can be!
