Who Will Join, Pt. II

The Adherents


Who the OPM will not attract are those who would like to be extreme when God has not placed them in any extremity, or those who like to stand out, to have any form of recognition, or who do best with human reinforcement over Divine consolation and spiritual desolation.

Those who want to be the leader or have strong, competitive impulses with others, would not find the Order of the Present Moment to their liking because one could only attempt to compete with God, and that is no competition. It is a race to run, as St. Paul alluded, and those running this race with adherence, wins. There are no placings, no blue, red, or yellow ribbons. 


More so, it is a climb on the stairway to heaven, and first one needs to seek, find, or be led to that stairway. And before that, one must be open to realizing there actually is a stairway to heaven. This stairway is not a mere concept, but a spiritual reality. And for souls who are spiritual--and a soul is spiritual--the stairway to heaven is the reality of what we must climb either in this life or after. 

Those who are not intrigued, would not be interested until that point at which they are intrigued. Those who by some life calamity or grace, their heads and hearts turned to see the steps that lead in spiritual progression moment by moment, will come to it by and by. Those who desire now, may be Adherents now.

Adherents of the Order of the Present Moment dress appropriately to the moment in which God has placed them, as He has placed them. The habit might be what one wears to work. Thus it must be what is within the means of the Adherent's ability to wear what will bring the very best for success in the work that God has asked of the Adherent, whether as trash collector, student, sales rep, medical professional or priest. 

The habit worn must coincide with place in life and culture, with what one is doing in that present moment. If sleeping, then it would be sleeping attire, if swimming then swim attire, if gardening, then garden attire, if worshiping, then worship attire—and this as lovely as one can manage for attending the wedding of the soul.

We must be clear that the OPM is not going to appeal to those who want to look different or to have identity as a particular religious group. The food is what God allows and provides through our work and abilities to earn a living, and what is healthy to the degree that we can procure healthy food, and that we know what healthy food is. 

Will there be fasting on bread and water, or only vegetables? That depends upon the present moment circumstances. Certainly, if only bread and water are available, if very poor, then bread and water is what one eats, while seeking means to procure other food. 

But for someone who has the knowledge of the food groups and the means to eat a healthy diet in keeping with what God has blessed and provided, then eating bread and water will only draw attention and cause health damage. An exception would be a person, given by God, the rare, mystical gift of inedia, which is actually a suffering and would be kept hidden from the curious. For the bulk of us, we eat what is placed before us, giving thanks to God's providence.

The hair style will coincide with what is best for our present moment lives and placement by God, by the means He has provided, in the culture and society in which we exist. Thus, those who want shaved heads or full beards, or bleached or dyed hair, or any stylized adornment, would need to pray and discern what is best for one's present moment life. 

What does God will? What blends in naturally so that the inner essence of life in Christ, as we progress, will be what is noticed? In what ways can we avoid being a distraction and diversion from divine intention and will? Surely we comprehend the flow of the OPM. The externals will not stand out any more than Christ stood out in his temporal externals of appearance (dress, food, hair, beard, transportation, work) of being placed in His earthly time, place and culture. 


(Topic concluded in next post)