Face To Face:

There’s a fascinating little story in the Bible found in Genesis 32:22-32. If you have a Bible handy, please take a moment and read these ten verses. I would write them out for you here, but it’s early, and besides that, there’s something about turning to the page and finding the verses yourself that enhances the experience with this story. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

So basically, we have Jacob, and he’s hanging out by himself next to a brook. A man appears seemingly out of nowhere, and wrestles with him all night long until the sun comes up the next morning. Geesh, that must have been exhausting. The man who’s wrestling with him eventually realizes that he can’t win, so he knocks Jacob’s thigh out of joint. That’ll teach him!

They continue wrestling, and despite the dislocated thigh, Jacob is still hanging in there. The strange man finally begs Jacob to let him go. Jacob refuses and demands that he pronounce a blessing on him. Weird little story huh? But wait, there’s more. The man asks him what is name is. He tells him his name is Jacob, which means supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler. The stranger says nope, from now on your name is Israel which means contender with God, equal with God. Jacob then asks the man his name, he doesn’t tell him, and then pronounces a blessing on him.

Now here is where it gets good. The strange man just disappears, evaporates out of thin air. Jacob then names the place PENIEL, which means THE FACE OF GOD, saying “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

Of all the names he could’ve called the place, he chose “Peniel” which again, means THE FACE OF GOD. Now, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out. This is an allegory about the Pineal gland in the human brain. When this gland is activated within us, we see God. This gland allows us to see the mystical, spiritual side of life. For most people, this gland is inactive, calcified; however, it can be “turned on” with meditation, and when this happens, you awaken to your divine self. You no longer perceive God as some outside force, but as yourself. The two become one. “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30)

The entire Bible is a book of psychological magic. It is filled from beginning to end with stories like this. It is such a high level book, that its meaning gets lost in translation for the majority of people, including church leaders. We must go inward, because the “Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)

We are the I AM, that is our name forever and ever.

In love and light,

-J