Alex Thomson attended a recent retreat with John Butler and afterwards asked him the question "What is 'Christ' to you?" Here, John grasps the nettle with all it entails, and not only gives a full appreciation of the difference in emphasis between 'Jesus the man' and 'Christ the Anointed One' but even manages a brief lesson in church history. You may even catch the Russian for "Not made by hands." In this video, John unassumingly makes some of his most profound statements ... "In God there is no confusion", ... "There's much safety in not knowing", ... "Find the True Self that lives in the heart of all" and ... "Thinkery, thinkery, thunk." Unmissable. As Alex was sitting outside he noticed a little flower between the cracks, and this came to him: Does a flower meditate? No, it has no mind, Yet it knows its purpose, To turn to the light And bloom, So that Life itself blooms, With no thought involved. Is that not the purpose Of meditation? Letting go of thoughts So that Life itself blooms. This little flower is my teacher And my friend As we sit together In silence Turning towards The Light. Alex For your free copy of John's poem 'Clouds' join the email community here - http://spiritualunfoldment.co.uk. 'Mystic Forbearance - in Russia'. Just over 100 years ago, the Russian Revolution started – man replaced God and the world began to change. From her homeland convulsed by civil war - like countless others with family uprooted and destroyed, a lost and lonely refugee, Mother was sent to England where, eventually she married and bore 2 children. At the age of 55, I returned to Russia for several years to rediscover my roots and incidentally write the notes which form the basis of my latest book, ‘Mystic Forbearance – in Russia’. This 2nd edition, with additions and corrections replaces the earlier, named ‘Oh, Russia’. It’s a large book of 600 pages, which cover almost every aspect of human existence, facing the great question of how spirit can strengthen to bear an unbearable world. John Butler - 2019 You can buy 'Mystic Forbearance - in Russia' here - https://spiritualunfoldment.co.uk/store/Mystic-Forbearance-in-Russia-two-volumes-p131875345 John's book 'Mystic Approaches' is now available as an e-book (PDF). You can buy and download it here - https://spiritualunfoldment.co.uk/store/Mystic-Approaches-e-book-PDF-p144293506 There will be more silent meditation retreats with John in Bakewell later in the year. Find out more: hhttps://spiritualunfoldment.co.uk/retreats/ If you find these videos helpful and feel you can support making the next, you can make a cheerful donation here - https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=BBAWMHB4JQMKY Thank you.