Find the blessing in betrayal

"Easter is not complete without loving the one who made it possible- Judas. Forgiveness becomes possible when we transcend appearances and realize that those people who represent the Judases in our lives and those qualities within ourselves that seem to have betrayed us have been the divine process growing us into Christs. It's all Love." - Walter Starcke

No doubt Easter becomes a far more meaningful event when we find a way to personalize it in our lives today and every day of the year.

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons we can draw from the Easter story, which is often overshadowed by the principles of surrender, resurrection and eternal life, is the fact that Judas actually played an essential role. Without the betrayal by Judas, the Easter story may have had a different ending.

While addressing the issue of forgiveness on several occasions, I recall hearing my friend Mary Manin Morrissey say, "Before there could be a resurrection, there had to be a betrayal."

What a powerful realization to have when it comes to forgiveness.

There are very few among us who have fully mastered the issue of forgiveness. Perhaps our personal resurrection- that is to say, our ability to be born anew to this day, free and clear of an unhealthy past- has been retarded by our attachment to resentment and nonforgiveness.

Is it really possible to see that those who have betrayed us were actually playing a necessary role in our spiritual growth and evolution? That's exactly what Jesus did with Judas. Jesus knew that betrayal by Judas was essential for his full ascension to Christhood.

Can you imagine Jesus, during his trial before Pilate, saying, "I just can't believe Judas did that to me . . . after all I did for him . . . how could he betray me . . . that dirty rotten rat, he has hurt me deeply. . . . I am really mad now, and I will never ever forgive him for what he has done to me"?

We can't imagine that kind of a scene because Jesus knew only good could come from that betrayal; it opened the door to his own personal resurrection and the final healing of any sense of separation from God. Forgiveness does that.

How about you? Is there any need for forgiveness in your life today?

First, have you ever betrayed yourself? Most of us have at some time or another. Perhaps that's where forgiveness needs to start: with yourself.

Second, are you ready to rise above and transcend any attachment you have to what someone else may have done that they "shouldn't have" and accept the idea that somehow they were playing an essential role in your own spiritual evolution?

This can be a tough one, and it will be impossible to accomplish if you insist on maintaining a victim consciousness. Jesus never saw himself as a victim because he chose to see the blessing in the betrayal, and he knew that forgiveness was as necessary as the betrayal itself.

When you and I can have that same Christ perspective, we will discover that the one we haven't forgiven in our heart is the one who will actually assist us the most in moving forward on our journey toward living fully in the light of God. Walter Starcke is right: Bless the Judases in your life- ultimately it's all love.

As a way to personalize these ideas today, search your heart and see if you discover any resentment, either toward yourself or others, that is attached to a sense of betrayal.

Knowing that betrayal represents a violation of trust, dig deeply enough within to realize that through this violation, you are being given the opportunity to heal a false belief of separation between you and God.

Forgiveness is how you do it. Release your betrayer unto the law of their own being. Trust that life will support you in transcending the past, irrespective of how hurtful it has been. Now, take a deep breath . . . let go, and let God.

Dennis Merritt Jones is the spiritual director for OneSpirit Center for Conscious Living in Simi Valley. To see more of his writings, please check out www.DennisMerrittJones.com or visit www.OneSpirit.org.