Do You See Spiritual Potential in Others and Yourself?

William Shakespeare said, “The eyes are the window to your soul.” When you look into your eyes, do you see your soul? And when you look into someone else’s eyes, do you see a soul housed in a body and all the potential that soul has to become spiritually actualized?

Probably not.

Neither did I…until after a church service.

An Uncomfortable Church Experience

When I lived in Atlanta, GA, I attended Unity Church. The minister was inspirational and the service nondenominational, which suited my eclectic spiritual focus.

Also, I was raised Jewish. Generally, church services made me uncomfortable. But I loved the fact that these brought in ancient wisdom, metaphysics, mysticism, and a variety of spiritual traditions. They were inclusive and left me feeling uplifted.

One Sunday, however, the minister asked us to do something that made me uncomfortable. She said, “Turn to the person sitting behind you, look them in the eye, and say, ‘I see the christ in you.’”

I immediately related the word “christ” to Jesus. And what I heard was, “Turn to the person behind you, look them in the eyes, and say, I see Jesus Christ in you.”

I realize that was not what she said, but it was what I heard.

Please know that I write this intending no disrespect to anyone who holds different beliefs. I respect all religions and honor other people’s faith.

I consider Jesus a Jew—one with a unique perspective on the religion into which he was born. However, at no time in my life have I thought of him as the son of God or God. Nor did I want to tell someone that I saw Jesus in them…let alone to be told that’s what they saw in my eyes.

I could have just walked out…maybe taken a bathroom break. Yet, I didn’t feel as if I could skip this exercise without making the situation more uncomfortable, so I did it.

I got nothing out of the exercise, and the rest of the service was ruined for me. Afterward, I spent a great deal of time trying to understand why we had been asked to go through this experience.

I did find understanding. That’s what I’d like to share with you today.

The Origin of “Christ in You”

Let’s start with a Christian perspective—and if you are Christian, you likely know this (and might find a reason to correct me). The New Testament contains various instances in which the words “christ in you” are used. I’m sure this is the origin of the exercise the minister asked me to do.

For instance, in 2 Corinthians 13:5, the apostle Paul asks the Corinthian believers: “Or do you not realize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?” And in 1 Romans 8:10, you will find this: “But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness.” Similarly, 7 Colossians 1:27 says, “To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

From what I have learned, Christians believe these references literally mean that Jesus Christ’s spirit dwells within them. So, to a Christian, being asked to “see the christ” in someone does, indeed, mean seeing Jesus.

I don’t think that is precisely what the Unity Church minister meant. Yet, there are many Unity Churches more firmly embedded in Christianity than the one I attended.

Christ as a Spiritual Title

Now let’s look at the word “christ,” which is a title. The concept of christ in Christianity came from the Jewish idea of a messiah or “the anointed one.” The word derives from the Greek word christos, which translates to the Hebrew term meshiah (Messiah).

Christians believe Jesus is the messiah foretold in both the Old and New Testament. Thus, they gave him the title of Jesus the Christ.

I see the term more generically if you will. To me, a christ is someone who has reached the highest level of spiritual potential.

While a christed being is believed by Christians to be someone entirely possessed by Jesus’ spirit, I would call Jesus a christed being. I see him as an example of someone who attained a clear connection with the Divine. I’m not talking about becoming God (or whatever you name you give it—Source, Creator, Allah, Shechinah, etc.) but becoming a conduit or channel for God’s consciousness.

Attaining Heightened Spiritual Consciousness

Many people talk about christ consciousness. I believe the consciousness of a christed being or a christ is similar to that demonstrated by Jesus.

But what about other humans…like you and me?

Consider that Jesus was a human being. (I realize that this might not be your belief, but many people consider him as such.) Now, his experience included being so spiritually tapped in that he could perform miracles. Of course, others, like Moses, did the same. Read The Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East, and you will discover many humans have performed miracles.

Also, Jesus was a soul—a spiritual being—expressing in a human—physical—body. Like his, your soul is a spark of Divinity and always connected to Source. That spark can be fanned into a fire of spiritual connection and consciousness.

I’ve heard christ consciousness described as a high level of energetic frequency or completion of our ascension from being human beings to spiritual beings. Yet, we are all spiritual beings right now. The difference lies only in how conscious we are of our spiritual nature and if we allow the spiritual part of ourselves to become a more dominant expression.

Do many humans attain christ consciousness? No…but it’s an aspirational goal for sure. And many people say they feel a connection to the Divine and receive Divine guidance daily.

Keep in mind that each and every human has the potential to reach christ consciousness. Jesus role-modeled the human’s ability to have a direct Divine connection and to create miracles. Be he said, “This you can do and more.”

Seeing the Christ in Yourself and Others

Back to the idea of seeing the christ in yourself and others…

I challenge you to stand in front of a mirror twice daily and gaze into your own eyes and say, “I see the christ in you.” If you have your own belief about the term christ, that’s fine!

I also challenge you to look into at least one person’s eyes each day and think, “I see the christ in you.” (I don’t suggest saying it aloud, or you might elicit some unwanted reactions…like mine during the Unity Church service!) Just look at people with the awareness that, like you, they are spiritual beings having a human experience.

See their eyes as windows into their souls. Connect soul to soul.

The other person doesn’t need to know you are doing this. In fact, it might be an interesting experiment to simply see how differently you respond to them and they react to you when you connect on a soul level.

If you want a more significant challenge, do this with someone you find irritating or don’t like. See how your feelings about that person change.

You are powerful, worthy, and deserving of a higher level of spiritual consciousness. After all, you are part and parcel of the Divine. And your spiritual potential is limitless. Acknowledge this consistently, and, little by little, you will move closer to realizing your spiritual potential.

Do you see the christ in yourself and others? Tell me in a comment below what this looks like in your life. And please share this post with someone you know who has not felt they can stand up for themselves.