Recursion - How Roles Switch Dynamically

Here's where the pattern gets really interesting - and practical for daily life.

People aren't always "heaven" and aren't always "earth." Everyone switches roles depending on the relationship.

The Same Person, Different Roles

Let's use a workplace example to see how this works:

Monday morning - A manager meets with their boss:

  • The boss (heaven) gives direction for a project
  • The manager (earth) listens, receives instructions, executes the plan
  • In THIS relationship, the manager is earth

Monday afternoon - The same manager meets with their team:

  • The manager (heaven) gives direction to subordinates
  • The team (earth) listens, receives instructions, executes
  • In THIS relationship, the manager is heaven

Same person. Same day. Different roles.

Everyone Is Both Heaven AND Earth

This is crucial to understand: Everyone is both, depending on who they're relating to.

Think of it like a chain:

God (ultimate heaven)
↓
CEO (earth to God/board, but heaven to managers)
↓
Manager (earth to CEO, but heaven to workers)
↓
Worker (earth to manager, but heaven to their tasks)
↓
Tasks (pure earth being organized)

Everyone in the middle is BOTH:

  • Earth in one direction (receiving from above)
  • Heaven in another direction (giving to below)

The Body Shows This Pattern

Even within a person, this switching happens:

When the mind wants to exercise:

  • Mind (heaven) says "Should go to the gym"
  • Body (earth) is tired, resists
  • Mind must convince body lovingly, not just command harshly

When the body is hungry:

  • Body (earth) signals "Need food!"
  • Mind (heaven) must respond and decide what to eat
  • Earth informs heaven of its needs

Both directions matter:

  • Heaven → Earth (mind directing body)
  • Earth → Heaven (body informing mind)

In Marriage

Husband as heaven, wife as earth (the general pattern):

  • He provides vision and direction
  • She manifests and executes family life
  • He leads, she respects and supports

But it switches too:

  • When she knows something he doesn't (she has information)
  • She becomes heaven, he becomes earth (receives from her)
  • A wise husband listens to his wife's wisdom

Example:

  • He says "Let's buy this house" (heaven giving direction)
  • She says "But I noticed the foundation has cracks" (earth informing heaven with important information)
  • Now she's providing heaven (information he needs)
  • He should receive as earth (adjust his plan based on her input)

The relationship works when both can flex:

  • Generally he leads (heaven), she executes (earth)
  • But she also informs and counsels (heaven to his earth)
  • It's dynamic, not rigid

With Your Children

Most of the time:

  • You (heaven) teach and direct
  • Children (earth) learn and obey

But sometimes it switches:

  • Child asks an innocent question that makes you think
  • Child's needs (earth) inform your decisions (heaven)
  • "Out of the mouths of babes" - sometimes they speak truth you need to hear

Jesus said: "Unless you become like little children..." (Matthew 18:3)

  • Sometimes children (earth) teach parents (heaven) about trust and faith
  • The roles can reverse

At Church

During the sermon:

  • Pastor (heaven) teaches
  • Congregation (earth) receives and applies

After the service:

  • You (heaven) teach your family what you learned
  • Your family (earth) listens and applies

Same information, different roles in different relationships.

The Key Insight: It's Relational, Not Fixed

You're not "a heaven person" or "an earth person."

You're BOTH, depending on the relationship in that moment.

This is what "recursion" means - the same pattern repeating at different scales, with roles shifting:

Recursive pattern:

  • God → You (you're earth)
  • You → Your subordinate (you're heaven)
  • Your subordinate → Their task (they're heaven to the task)

All the way up: Eventually everything points to God as ultimate Heaven.

All the way down: Eventually everything becomes earth (material reality being organized).

Why This Matters Practically

1. Stay humble:

  • You're earth to someone (you receive direction too)
  • You're not the ultimate authority
  • You answer to heaven above you

2. Lead responsibly:

  • You're heaven to someone (they depend on your direction)
  • You have authority and must use it well
  • You'll answer to God for how you led

3. Be flexible:

  • Sometimes you need to receive (be earth)
  • Sometimes you need to give direction (be heaven)
  • Wisdom knows which role is needed when

4. Don't get confused:

  • When your boss gives direction, don't rebel (you're earth in that moment)
  • When your team needs direction, don't abdicate (you're heaven in that moment)
  • Know which role you're in

A Real-World Example: From Roles to Focus

The previous sections showed how people switch "roles" between heaven and earth. But let's go deeper with a specific example - a network engineer at a hospital during a crisis.

At first glance, it might seem like the engineer "becomes" heaven or earth in different moments. But that's not quite right. What really happens is more subtle and profound: the engineer's focus shifts.

The engineer doesn't become a different person. Rather, their attention moves between receiving from earth (problems, constraints) and reaching toward heaven (wisdom, solutions). And most importantly, they must integrate both in the spirit of Christ.

Let's see how this actually works:

Scenario: Critical network failure affecting patient care

Focus shifts to Earth (receiving the problem):

  • The engineer's focus goes to the monitoring alerts
  • Attention on user reports and error messages
  • Focus is on receiving - what is the earth (system) telling me?
  • The engineer looks downward to understand the material problem

Focus shifts to Heaven (evaluating and planning):

  • The engineer's focus lifts to analysis and wisdom
  • Attention moves to creating a solution
  • Focus is on organizing information into a plan
  • Looking upward to principles, best practices, divine wisdom

Focus returns to Earth (receiving management input):

  • The engineer's focus shifts to management's constraints
  • Attention on budget, timing, organizational needs
  • Focus is on receiving direction from authority
  • Looking at earthly limitations that must be honored

The Integration - Executing in Christ's Spirit:

  • Now the engineer must integrate heaven (the plan) with earth (the constraints)
  • Execute with both wisdom AND compassion
  • Balance technical excellence with human needs
  • Like Christ - fully honoring both heaven's truth and earth's reality

The goal isn't just to switch focus, but to integrate both perspectives and execute in the spirit of Christ - with perfect balance of:

  • Truth (heaven) and Love (earth)
  • Excellence (heaven) and Patience (earth)
  • Authority (heaven) and Service (earth)

The network gets restored not just through technical skill, but through Christ-like integration of heaven and earth. The engineer serves as a mediator, constantly shifting focus to gather what's needed from both realms, then executing with wisdom and love.

This is what it means to work "as unto the Lord" - not just doing the job, but doing it in the pattern of Christ, who perfectly integrated heaven and earth in every action.

The Deeper Lesson:

While we talked about switching "roles" earlier, this engineer example reveals something deeper. It's not really about becoming different things - it's about:

  • Where we place our focus (earth's needs or heaven's wisdom)
  • How we gather information (receiving from below and above)
  • The spirit in which we execute (Christ's integrated way)

Every professional, every parent, every person navigates this same pattern daily - shifting focus between earth and heaven, then trying to execute with integrity. The goal isn't just to switch roles mechanically, but to embody Christ's spirit in how we integrate and execute.

Christ Shows Us the Perfect Integration

Jesus didn't just switch roles - He showed us something deeper about focus and spirit:

His Focus on Heaven (receiving from the Father):

  • "Not my will, but yours" (Luke 22:42)
  • His attention constantly turned upward in prayer
  • He received the Father's will moment by moment
  • Perfect receptivity to heaven's direction

His Focus on Earth's Needs (receiving from humanity):

  • He saw the crowds and had compassion
  • He felt their hunger, sickness, confusion
  • He received their prayers and cries
  • Perfect awareness of earth's reality

His Perfect Declaration - The Complete Pattern:

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6) - This isn't just a statement. It's the entire pattern:

  • The WAY (Earth): The physical path, where to actually go, the power that holds all creation together. Christ has maximum earth power - He sustains everything.
  • The TRUTH (Heaven): The authority, the information about how and why, all wisdom and knowledge. Christ has maximum heaven authority - He IS truth itself.
  • The LIFE (Integration): When Way and Truth unite perfectly, LIFE emerges. Perfect life. Eternal life. This is what happens when heaven and earth are fully integrated.

The Recursion:

Christ IS the pattern He teaches:

  • He doesn't just show us how to integrate heaven and earth
  • He IS the integration of heaven (Truth) and earth (Way)
  • The result of His perfect integration is Life itself
  • To have life, we must go through Him - the perfect integration point

His Perfect Execution:

  • Every action integrated heaven's will with earth's needs
  • Truth (heaven) delivered with Love (earth)
  • Authority (heaven) expressed through Service (earth)
  • This integration produces LIFE wherever He goes

This is the deeper pattern Christ shows us:

  1. Walk the WAY - engage with earthly reality, use the power given
  2. Know the TRUTH - receive heavenly wisdom and authority
  3. Live the LIFE - integrate both to produce real, eternal life

The recursive beauty: To gain life, we must be like Christ. To be like Christ, we must integrate the Way (earth) with the Truth (heaven). When we do this, Life emerges - not just biological existence, but the abundant life He promised, reconnected with God.

He calls us not just to switch roles mechanically, but to embody His pattern - becoming living integrations of heaven and earth, truth and way, producing life wherever we go. This is what it means to be "in Christ" - participating in His perfect integration, becoming conduits of life ourselves.

The Dynamic Dance Becomes Sacred Work

When understood this way, life isn't just switching between roles. It becomes a sacred dance of focus and integration:

The Dance of Focus:

  • Focus lifts to heaven (receiving wisdom)
  • Focus drops to earth (receiving reality)
  • Focus centers in Christ (integrating both)

The Spirit of Execution:

  • Not just "playing a role well"
  • But embodying Christ's spirit in that moment
  • Integrating heaven and earth in every action
  • Making everyday work into sacred service

This transforms everything - from fixing networks to raising children, from leading teams to serving others. It's not about mechanically switching between heaven and earth roles. It's about becoming like Christ - one who perfectly integrates both in every moment, turning ordinary work into participation in the divine pattern.

The wisdom isn't just knowing "which role you're in" - it's knowing how to shift focus between heaven and earth, gather what's needed from both, and execute in the integrated spirit of Christ.

Called to Be Walking Jesus

This is the ultimate calling - not just to understand these patterns, but to embody them. To be a walking Jesus in our daily life.

What This Means:

  • We're not just followers - we're apprentices learning His craft
  • We're not just believers - we're disciples embodying His patterns
  • We're not just saved - we're being transformed into His likeness
  • We're called to smell like Him

The Smell of Christ:

When we truly embody His patterns:

  • We integrate Truth (heaven) with Way (earth) to produce Life
  • We balance Prophet, Priest, and King functions
  • We execute with both excellence and compassion
  • We create the "aroma of Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:15)

People should encounter Jesus when they encounter us. Not perfectly - we're still learning the craft. But genuinely - they should smell something different, something that reminds them of Him.

The Apprenticeship:

  • Watch how Jesus shifted focus between heaven and earth
  • Practice His integration in your daily work
  • Embody His spirit in your relationships
  • Let His patterns become your patterns

Whether you're a network engineer fixing systems, a parent raising children, a manager leading teams, or anyone living ordinary life - you're called to do it as a walking Jesus. Not through your own power, but by embodying His patterns, shifting focus like He did, integrating like He did, until you begin to smell like Him.

This is discipleship - not just learning about Jesus, but becoming like Jesus. Walking the Way, knowing the Truth, living the Life, until others can see and smell Christ in you.

The recursion completes: Christ embodies the pattern perfectly. We embody Christ. Others see the pattern in us. The kingdom spreads not through argument but through the attractive aroma of lives that smell like Jesus.

The Holy Spirit - What Makes It Real

Here's where Christians part ways with secular understanding of these patterns:

For Christians, this isn't just philosophy or psychology:

  • We have the Holy Spirit - the same Spirit that guided Christ
  • God literally dwells in us to help us emulate Him
  • We're not following impersonal patterns - we're relating to a living Person
  • We can have actual conversations with God

The Critical Difference:

Christ was God - He had perfect integration naturally. We are not God, but we are called to emulate God. The bridge? The Holy Spirit living in us.

Without the Holy Spirit:

  • We can understand the patterns intellectually
  • We can try to follow them through willpower
  • But we cannot smell like Christ on our own
  • We're like someone trying to manufacture a perfume without the essential ingredient

With the Holy Spirit:

  • We have God Himself helping us from within
  • We're guided by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead
  • We're not just imitating - we're being transformed
  • We actually begin to smell like Christ because Christ is in us

The Admission That Changes Everything:

Christianity requires a humbling admission:

  • "I cannot smell nice on my own"
  • "My will is imperfect and leads to spiritual stench"
  • "I need the Holy Spirit to make me like Christ"
  • "I must submit to God's will - not an idea, but a real Person"

This is what "being saved" means - not just understanding patterns, but receiving the Holy Spirit who enables us to actually embody them.

A Living Will, Not Dead Rules:

For secular people, submitting to a "higher will" might mean:

  • Following the state's laws
  • Adhering to moral principles
  • Accepting religious teachings
  • Submitting to social norms

For Christians, it means submitting to:

  • A living, conscious God who exists outside time and space yet is also in it
  • A real Person you can talk to, who talks back
  • The actual Will of God - not abstract principles but living guidance
  • The Holy Spirit who dwells in you personally

This Is the Highest Call:

The highest calling isn't just to understand these patterns or even to follow them. It's to:

  1. Admit you can't do it alone (confession)
  2. Receive the Holy Spirit (salvation)
  3. Submit to God's living will (discipleship)
  4. Be transformed into Christ's likeness (sanctification)
  5. Smell like Jesus through His Spirit in you (witness)

This is what makes a Christian a Christian - not just believing in the patterns, but believing in and receiving the Person who enables us to live them. The patterns are real, but without the Holy Spirit, we're just trying to manufacture the smell of Christ through human effort. With the Holy Spirit, we actually become "little Christs" - not through our power but through God living in us.

The Soft Heart - The Key to Everything:

What enables all of this? A soft heart.

The willingness to:

  • Accept the possibility of an actual Creator
  • Acknowledge an external Will greater than yours
  • Humble yourself toward that Will
  • Be the earth that allows itself to be formed by heaven

This is the difference between soft and hard hearts:

A hard heart says:

  • "I am my own heaven"
  • "My will is sufficient"
  • "I will not be formed by another"
  • "I reject external authority"

A soft heart says:

  • "I am earth, willing to be shaped"
  • "There is a Will higher than mine"
  • "Form me, Lord"
  • "Not my will but Yours be done"

The soft heart is earth in its perfect state - receptive, moldable, fertile. It receives the seed (the Word), the rain (the Spirit), the sun (God's presence), and produces fruit. The hard heart is like concrete - nothing can penetrate, nothing can grow.

This softness isn't weakness - it's the ultimate strength. It takes more courage to submit to God's will than to insist on your own. It takes more strength to say "I need help" than to pretend you're self-sufficient.

This is the key to Christian life and salvation: The soft heart that says "Yes" to being formed by the ultimate Heaven. The moment we soften - the moment we become willing earth to God's heaven - everything becomes possible. The Holy Spirit can enter. Transformation can begin. We can start to smell like Christ.

The transcendent life isn't achieved - it's received. And it's received through the soft heart that's willing to be formed by the living God.