Weekly Teachings 4/3/2012  Effort versus Grace     The discovery
of who we truly are and the consequent discovery of Truth
therefore lie in a combination of our effort, our personal
endeavour and personal responsibility, and the grace inherent in
Jesus’ being and words.  “Jesus said, If they say to you, ‘Where
have you come from? Say to them, ‘We have come from the light,
from the place where the light came into being by itself,
established itself, and appeared in their image.’ If they say to
you, ‘is it you?’ say, ‘We are its children, and we are the
chosen of the living father.”    “Jesus said, If your leaders
say to you, ‘Look, the kingdom is in heaven,’ then the birds of
heaven will precede you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,
and then the fish will precede you. Rather, the Kingdom is
inside you and it is outside you.”   This emphasis on each of us
containing within ourselves a spark of the Divine was a belief
held by many of the Church fathers, such as Clement of
Alexandria and Origen; it was cons