"Oh what a delicious breakfast that would be" says the Mad Hatter in Underland. One thing I couldn't help but notice in similarity between the bible and Alice in Wonderland was how often she was growing, and shrinking, and going through lots of clothes. When Alice is going to face the Jabberwocky (movie version) she starts reciting the impossible things she's done in order to help her fight the dragon. The first two are:
"A potion that makes you shrink."
"A cake that makes you grow."
And I couldn't help thinking about the lines upon the back of the bible which say "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending...which is, and which was, and which is to come" spoken by Christ as a strong parallelism. In fact, If I took any cues from the unimaginative mind of Bobby I'd think it is all ridiculousness! How can one person be the biggest and the smallest thing ever? It makes no sense, or so says my judgment. And in a strictly factual world or mindset I could never make the connection between the impossible things Alice speaks of the Bible now could I?
"And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, 'This is my body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of me'. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you."-Luke 22:19-20
Now sure on first look it may not have all the components of a very good parellilism but when we look deeper into the story, as well as into what this Covenant Jesus is creating for his Christians out of Jeaudism you can start to understand that they both tell a very similar message: Wake Up.
Throughout all of Paul's epistles he speaks of those who "sleep," that have not "awakened" to the Kingdom of Heaven. Someone in class raised a question with the answer that the Kingdom of Heaven is "here" and Sexson decided it was incorrect. The problem arises when using the word now that we give an animated home to something. But what the Bible teaches is that the Kingdom of Heaven is not a deveiling, it is not the apocalypse, we are not looking forward to the Kingdom of Heaven:
"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God cometh not with Observation. Neither shall they say, "Lo here", or "Lo there":for behold, the kingdom of God is within you."-Luke 17:20
So the Kingdom of Heaven is Now, within us, lying dormant waiting to be awakened for the ears that will hear and the eyes that will see. Christianity, or The Way, as it was first known, is a Way of life. But why don't the Jews believe that the Kingdom of Heaven has come and is now within us? I don't rightfully know. But what I've come to speculate is this.
Christianity teaches, through the Canon, that through the diminishing of the Old Covenant, all the symbolism of connection with Heaven, or the Kingdom of God, was replaced by him. No longer was sacrifice upon an altar needed to make a connection between God and Man, because Christ died (sacrifice middle) for our sins, as it goes, and destroyed the old Covenant.
"Thomas saith unto him, 'Lord, we know not whither thou goest: and how can we know the way?' Jesus saith unto him, ' I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."-John 14:6
This is a rather straightforward statement. Christ replaces the sacrifice and reunites the connections of ascenscion with God; but he is only able to do this because he after he dies he is completely clean. He is an ever and always clean, pure connection of ascension to the Highest Being:
"Jesus saith unto her, "Touch me not: for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God."-John 20:17
With Christ's ascension he represents God's sacrifice to us. Now all that remains of humans is it to reach for Christ. Often the reaching for Christ is considered a marriage, which in the deepest sense it is.
"For I am a jealous over you with godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." -2 Corinthians 11:2
And with the new marriage to Christ in the Christian faith humans become children of God.
"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begot loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments."-1 John 5:1-2
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God"-1 John 3:1
"That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."- Romans 9:8
"For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, 'I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee'. And again, 'I will put my trust in him'. And again, 'Behold I and the children which God hath given me'."-Hebrews 2:10-13
Thus the idea of us being born again as children of God, through a marriage with Christ. But how does this connect with Alice's Adventure in Wonderland?
At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her; she gave a little scream, half of fright and half of anger, and tried to beat them off, and found herself lying on the bank, with her head in the lap of her sister, who was gently brushing away some dead leaves that had fluttered down from the tree upon her face.
"Wake up, Alice dear!" said her sister. "Why, what a long sleep you've had!"
"Oh, I've had such a curious dream!" said Alice, and she told her sister, as well as she could remember them, all these strange Adventures of hers that you have just been reading about; and when she had finished, her sister kissed her, and said, "It was a curious dream, dear, certainly: but now run in to your tea; it's getting late." So Alice got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might, what a wonderful dream it had been."
But her sister sat still just as she left her, leaning her head on her hand, watching the setting sun, and thinking of little Alice and all her wonderful Adventures, till she too began dreaming after a fashion, and this was her dream:-
First, she dreamed of little Alice herself: once again the tiny hands were clasped upon her knee, and the bright eager eyes were looking up into hers-she could hear the very tones of her voice, and see that queer little toss of her head to keep back the wandering hair that would always get into her eyes-and still as she listened, or seemed to listen, the whole place around her became alive with the strange creatures of her little sister's dream.
The long grass rustled at her feet as the White Rabbit hurried by-the frightened Mouse splashed his way through the neighbouring pool-she could hear the rattle of the teacups as the March Hare and his fiends shared their never-ending meal, and the shrill voice of the Queen ordering off her unfortunate guests to execution-once more the pig-baby was sneezing on the Duchess's knee, while plates and dishes crashed around it-once more the shriek of the Gryphon, the squeaking of the Lizard's slate-pencil, and the choking of the suppressed guinea-pigs, filled the air, mixed up with the distant sob of the miserable Mock Turtle.
So she sat on, with closed eyes, and half believed herself in Wonderland, though she knew she had but to open them again, and all would change to dull reality-the grass would be only rustling in the wind, and the pool rippling to the waving of the reeds-the rattling teacups would change to tinkling sheep-bells, and the Queen's shrill cries to the voice of the shepherd-boy-and the sneeze of the baby, the shriek of the Gryphon, and all the other queer noises, would change (she knew) to the confused clamour of the busy farm0yard-while the lowing of the cattle in the distance would take the place of the Mock Turtle's heavy sobs.
Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood; and how she would gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with mange a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago; and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.-Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Through the unknown, remembered gate
When the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning;
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall
And the children in the apple-tree
Not known, because not looked for
But heard, half-heard, in the stillness
Between the two waves of the sea.
Quick now, here, now, always-
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.-T.S. Eliot's Little Gidding
"And suddenly there came a sound form heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."- Acts 2:2-4
The crowned not of fire,
The King of Kings
Knotted to His Merciful gift,
The Holy Ghost- Given
If received
The moment of the rose and the moment of the yew-tree
Are of equal duration."-Eliot's Little Gidding
Will the sunflower turn to us, will the clematis
Stray down, bend to us; tendril and spray
Clutch and Cling?
Chill
Fingers of yew be curled
Down on us?-T.S. Eliot's Burnt Norton
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.-Eliot's Little Gidding.
I would not go so far as to Speculate that the rose is not a plant, or not only a plant, but instead an action, an ascendance of us, as in telling us to rise. I would not go so far.
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