Atonement: With God

Atonement is a dense theological term heavily layered with centuries of religious doctrine and interpretation, often associated with sacrifice, sin and forgiveness. My purpose today is not to delve into various theories of atonement, but to explore its deeper, more transformative meaning: oneness with God. 

The term itself was coined in early 16th-century England—most likely by Bible translator William Tyndale—as a way to describe the reconciliation made possible through Christ. It is a compound word derived from the phrase “at-one-ment,” literally meaning the state of being at one. At its heart, atonement is not about a transaction but about union—the profound reality that we are already one with the Divine.

We are not separate from God but have our very being in God. As the scriptures say, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Yet, through fear, pride, sin, and self-will, we have come to believe in the illusion of separation—from God, from others, and from ourselves. Our lived experience is frequently one of fractured distance rather than divine union. Atonement, in this deeper sense, is not about appeasing an angry God or crossing a cosmic gap—it is about awakening to the eternal truth that we are, and always have been, in God.

In previous reflections, I have written about the internal struggle, the shadow self, the nature of sacrifice and redemption, the death of the false self, and the hope of resurrection. All of these describe a transformative spiritual process: a movement from illusion to truth, from fragmentation to wholeness, from striving to surrender. They form the path back to experiential union—the path of atonement. Jesus perfectly embodied this oneness with God and, if you can accept it, in some mystical, yet deeply human and painful way, completed it. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). The Greek word for reconciliation, katallagé, captures the idea of restoration to harmony. 

The implications of atonement are profound. If we are truly one with God, then we are not trying to find our way back to a distant deity—we are already there. We are being invited to wake up to the pervasive presence of God. This is not just the awakening to the presence of an “Other,” but to the realization that we are One with God. There is no Other. As Jesus said, “I and the Father are One and you are in me and I am in you.” (John 10:30 and John 14:20). In other words, we are all part of this one divine life -interconnected, inseparable. 

This realization changes everything. It reshapes how we see ourselves and others. It alters how we view relationships. We are no longer separate but have a common bond, for what is true of me is also true of you and everyone else. We no longer live as outsiders, trying to measure up, but as beloved ones, already embraced and accepted within the Divine life.

To live in atonement is to live in deep trust—to let go of the fear that we are alone, and rest in the truth that God is not only near, but intimately entangled within. This is not just a theological abstraction—it is reality that can be lived, a sacred communion or “common union.” This Union is our home – our true place of being. And in this home, we find peace, belonging, and the unshakable joy of knowing that nothing can separate us from the One who is Love in whom we are already made whole. 

Be in AWE: 

Aware:
Become aware of the quiet presence of God within and around you—closer than your breath, holding all things together.

Wonder:
What if the separation you feel from God, others, or even yourself is not ultimate reality, but an illusion waiting to be healed?

Experience:
Today, rest for a few moments in the awareness of oneness—allowing yourself to simply be held within the Love in which you already live and move and have your being

Monday Awe: The Reality of Oneness

• St. Augustine: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” (Confessions)
• Maximus the Confessor: “Through Christ, we are united with God, sharing in His divine nature.” (adapted from Ambigua to John)
• Ibn Arabi: “Union with God is the soul’s true purpose, where all separation dissolves into the Eternal.” (inspired by Fusus al-Hikam)
• Gospel of Thomas 77: “I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all return.”
• John 17:21: “That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (NIV)

AWE

Aware.  Which quote speaks to you?
Wonder.  Contemplate what this means to you.
Enjoy/Engage/Experience.  What is your next step?

St. Athanasius: “Christ became what we are so that we might become what He is.” (On the Incarnation)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “In Christ, all divisions are reconciled, and we are brought into God’s family.” (Life Together)

Julian of Norwich: “Through the mercy of God, we are made whole, united with Him in love.” (Revelations of Divine Love)

Tagore: “Love’s gift cannot be given; it waits to be accepted.” (Gitanjali)

The Upanishads 2.2.5: “The soul finds its true self when it merges with the Eternal, as rivers flow into the sea.” (interpretive)

Colossians 1:19-20: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things.” (NIV)

AWE

Aware.  Which quote speaks to you?

Wonder.  Contemplate what this means to you.

Enjoy/Engage/Experience.  What is your next step?

Thomas Aquinas: “The union of the soul with God is the highest mystery, known only through grace.” (based upon writings in Summa Theologica)

St. Teresa of Ávila: “It is like rain falling into a river or stream, becoming one water.” (Interior Castle)

Simone Weil: “Oneness with God is not achieved by grasping but by surrender.” (attributed to Simone Weil)

Gospel of Thomas 108: “Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me; I myself shall become that person, and the hidden things will be revealed to them.”

1 Corinthians 6:17: “But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” (NIV)

AWE

Aware.  Which quote speaks to you?

Wonder.  Contemplate what this means to you.

Enjoy/Engage/Experience.  What is your next step? is a dense theological term heavily layered with centuries of religious doctrine and interpretation, often associated with sacrifice, sin and forgiveness. My purpose today is not to delve into various theories of atonement, but to explore its deeper, more transformative meaning: oneness with God. 

The term itself was coined in early 16th-century England—most likely by Bible translator William Tyndale—as a way to describe the reconciliation made possible through Christ. It is a compound word derived from the phrase “at-one-ment,” literally meaning the state of being at one. At its heart, atonement is not about a transaction but about union—the profound reality that we are already one with the Divine.

We are not separate from God but have our very being in God. As the scriptures say, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Yet, through fear, pride, sin, and self-will, we have come to believe in the illusion of separation—from God, from others, and from ourselves. Our lived experience is frequently one of fractured distance rather than divine union. Atonement, in this deeper sense, is not about appeasing an angry God or crossing a cosmic gap—it is about awakening to the eternal truth that we are, and always have been, in God.

In previous reflections, I have written about the internal struggle, the shadow self, the nature of sacrifice and redemption, the death of the false self, and the hope of resurrection. All of these describe a transformative spiritual process: a movement from illusion to truth, from fragmentation to wholeness, from striving to surrender. They form the path back to experiential union—the path of atonement. Jesus perfectly embodied this oneness with God and, if you can accept it, in some mystical, yet deeply human and painful way, completed it. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). The Greek word for reconciliation, katallagé, captures the idea of restoration to harmony. 

The implications of atonement are profound. If we are truly one with God, then we are not trying to find our way back to a distant deity—we are already there. We are being invited to wake up to the pervasive presence of God. This is not just the awakening to the presence of an “Other,” but to the realization that we are One with God. There is no Other. As Jesus said, “I and the Father are One and you are in me and I am in you.” (John 10:30 and John 14:20). In other words, we are all part of this one divine life -interconnected, inseparable. 

This realization changes everything. It reshapes how we see ourselves and others. It alters how we view relationships. We are no longer separate but have a common bond, for what is true of me is also true of you and everyone else. We no longer live as outsiders, trying to measure up, but as beloved ones, already embraced and accepted within the Divine life.

To live in atonement is to live in deep trust—to let go of the fear that we are alone, and rest in the truth that God is not only near, but intimately entangled within. This is not just a theological abstraction—it is reality that can be lived, a sacred communion or “common union.” This Union is our home – our true place of being. And in this home, we find peace, belonging, and the unshakable joy of knowing that nothing can separate us from the One who is Love in whom we are already made whole. 

Be in AWE: 

Aware:
Become aware of the quiet presence of God within and around you—closer than your breath, holding all things together.

Wonder:
What if the separation you feel from God, others, or even yourself is not ultimate reality, but an illusion waiting to be healed?

Experience:
Today, rest for a few moments in the awareness of oneness—allowing yourself to simply be held within the Love in which you already live and move and have your being

St. John of the Cross: “In the union of love, the soul and God become one.” (Dark Night of the Soul, paraphrased)

Julian of Norwich: “The love of God enfolds all, drawing us into perfect unity.” (Attributed to Julian of Norwich)

Plotinus: “The soul ascends to the One through love, shedding all that divides.” (based upon the teachings of Plotinus)

Tagore: “Love is an endless mystery, for it has nothing else to explain it.” (Stray Birds)

Rig Veda 10.191.3: “Let your hearts be united as one; let your minds be united as one.”

Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons… will be able to separate us from the love of God.” (NIV)

AWE

Aware.  Which quote speaks to you?

Wonder.  Contemplate what this means to you.

Enjoy/Engage/Experience.  What is your next step?

St. Irenaeus: “The work of atonement restores creation to its rightful unity in God.” (based upon the theology of Irenaeus)

St. Hildegard of Bingen: “Through atonement, the harmony of creation is renewed, and the soul finds peace.” (attributed to Hildegard of Bingen)

Khalil Gibran: “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” (The Sand and the Foam)

2 Corinthians 5:18-19: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” (NIV)

AWE

Aware.  Which quote speaks to you?

Wonder.  Contemplate what this means to you.

Enjoy/Engage/Experience.  What is your next step?

St. Athanasius: “Christ became what we are so that we might become what He is.” (On the Incarnation)

Thomas Aquinas: “The union of the soul with God is the highest mystery, known only through grace.” (Summa Theologica)

Julian of Norwich: “The love of God enfolds all, drawing us into perfect unity.” (Revelations of Divine Love)

St. Irenaeus: “The work of atonement restores creation to its rightful unity in God.” (Against Heresies)

1 Corinthians 6:17: “But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” (NIV)

AWE

Aware.  Which quote speaks to you?

Wonder.  Contemplate what this means to you.

Enjoy/Engage/Experience.  What is your next step?