What Jesus Meant by “I and My Father Are One”, No Drama, Just Love in San Salvador

Downtown San Salvador has this bright, busy, real-life feel, cars rolling by, people moving fast, and then, right in the middle of it, a moment of laughter, a little “Namaste,” and a warm “Merry Christmas” offered like a small candle in the street.

That’s the vibe here: no drama, just love, and a simple focus as Christmas gets close. Not on arguments, not on who’s right, but on what Jesus actually taught, especially that line people love to quote: “I and My Father are one.”

A Christmas greeting from downtown San Salvador (and a little playful banter)

It starts light, like it should. A greeting between friends, a little travel energy, and the kind of spontaneous joking that happens when you’re filming in public and trying not to take yourself too seriously (someone even cracks a joke about not cutting off Jesus’s head in the shot).

Then the mood turns sweet and sincere. Christmas is a week away, and the focus is clear: celebrating the appearance day, the birth, of Jesus, with respect and gratitude.

You hear the mix of cultures and spiritual languages too:

• “Namaste.”
• “Merry Christmas.”
• “Feliz Navidad” (said with that playful, imperfect charm).
• “Haribol,” a call used in bhakti traditions to celebrate and to encourage chanting God’s names.

It’s not presented as “pick one team.” It’s offered as, “Let’s love God, let’s honor saints, and let’s get real about what the teachings mean.”

The big idea: stop using Jesus’s name, start living Jesus’s teaching

A lot of people say they’re doing good “in Jesus’s name.” Jesus actually addresses that kind of thing directly in the Sermon on the Mount.

The teaching being pointed to is the moment where Jesus says that not everyone who calls him “Lord” is really aligned with God, because the real measure is doing the Father’s will.

You can read the passage here: Matthew 7:21 to 23 (NASB).

The point being emphasized is simple and sharp:

You can talk spiritual all day. You can do “religious” actions. You can even say the right names. But if your life is not aimed at the will of God, something is off.

And that’s not said to shame anyone. It’s said as a wake-up call, and also as a path back to what matters.

“I and My Father are one” does not mean “I am the Father”

Here’s the heart of the reflection. When Jesus says “I and the Father are one,” it’s easy for people to run straight into a confusing argument about identity, status, and metaphysics.

But the way it’s explained here is much more practical:

Jesus is not claiming, “I am the Father.”
He’s showing, “My will is one with the Father’s will.”

In other words, unity through surrender.

That line, “I and the Father are one,” comes from John 10:30, and you can see it in context here: John 10:22 to 42 (ESV) (the section where the statement appears).

This reading puts the focus where it actually changes your life: not “What words do I defend?” but “What will am I living by?”

The simple test: whose will is running your day?

This is where it gets very personal, very fast, in a good way.

Because “God’s will” is not an abstract cloud floating somewhere. It shows up in ordinary choices:

Am I honest when it costs me something?
Do I forgive, or do I keep collecting grudges like souvenirs?
Do I remember God when I’m stressed, or only when life is easy?
Do I serve, or do I use people?

Jesus’s life becomes an example of what alignment looks like. Not just words, not just identity, but a steady “yes” to the Father.

If you want another angle on this same theme, Jesus’s prayer in Gethsemane is often held up as a clear picture of surrender, “not my will, but yours.” Here’s one article focused on that moment: Jesus’ example of surrendering to God’s will in Gethsemane.

Dispelling myths without picking a fight

The tone matters here. The goal is not to “win” Christmas. It’s to celebrate it with clarity and love.

So when it says “dispelling myths and mistakes,” it’s not coming in with a hammer. It’s more like cleaning a foggy window so you can see the view.

One myth (or at least one common confusion) is the idea that spiritual life is mostly about labels and claims. The reflection keeps pushing back toward something steadier:

• Alignment with God’s will
• Sincere devotion
• Seeing holy teachers in the correct light, with accurate understanding

And that last part matters, because it’s easy to sentimentalize Jesus, or to turn him into a symbol people argue over, instead of a teacher whose words can actually rearrange your heart.

Jesus as “śaktyāveśa avatāra” (and what that phrase is doing here)

A phrase appears that might sound unfamiliar if you come from a Christian background: “Shaktavesha Avatar” (often spelled śaktyāveśa avatāra in Sanskrit).

In some Krishna conscious, Vaishnava settings, the idea is that God can empower a living being in an extraordinary way for a specific mission. In that framing, Jesus is honored as a divinely empowered teacher, a master who is deeply connected with the Supreme.

This is not presented as a put-down of Christianity. It’s presented as a way of honoring Jesus within a bhakti vocabulary.

If you want to see how that concept is discussed in Krishna conscious sources, these references are commonly cited:

• Jesus Christ as saktyavesa-avatara (Vaniquotes)
• “Jesus was an empowered incarnation of Krishna” (Krishna.org)

You don’t have to adopt every term to catch the spirit of what’s being said: Jesus is being praised as a real representative of God, and Christmas is being treated as a day worth celebrating with gratitude, not cynicism.

“Chant the holy names”: a practical way to keep your will pointed at God

A quick “Haribol” shows up, and with it, a gentle instruction: chant the holy names of the Lord.

In bhakti traditions, holy names are not treated like background music. They’re treated like a direct way to remember God, and to soften the heart.

This connects back to the main point about will. Because, let’s be honest, most of us don’t fail because we never heard a teaching. We fail because we forget it on Tuesday afternoon when someone cuts us off in traffic, or when we feel insulted, or when we’re tired.

A prayer on the lips becomes a reminder in the mind.

And if you come from a Christian path, this can still make sense. Christians have long used spoken prayer, repeated prayer, sung prayer, and simple devotion as a way to keep the heart aimed at God, especially in seasons like Christmas. One example from a mainstream Christian source is: A Song of the Messiah (Christmas) from the Church of England.

Different tradition, similar instinct: let sacred words shape the inner life.

The “JuicyMagiK” community: free meditation classes and gatherings

The reflection closes in a very grounded way. It’s not just “think about this” and then goodbye. It’s an invitation into practice and community.

JuicyMagiK shares:

• free meditation classes
• gatherings (both digital and in-person)
• a growing community for people who want to practice and connect

If you want to join their community portal, they point people to the Juicy MagiK Agora: Juicy MagiK Agora registration.

And for those who want to support their projects, they also share a support page: support projects by Juicy MagiK.

A quick note on the plumeria symbol (and why it fits the message)

There’s also a sweet detail about the JuicyMagiK symbol, described as a flower, like a plumeria from Hawaii.

The meaning given is devotional and simple:

• a sweet offering to God
• a sweet fragrance that comes from association with the Supreme (Krishna)

Even if you’re not into symbols, it’s a gentle reminder of something true: devotion is supposed to smell like something, not literally, but in the way it changes how you show up.

Softer. Kinder. Less performative. More real.

If you’re curious about plumeria symbolism in general, here’s one reference: plumeria flower meaning and symbolism.

Conclusion: one Christmas line to carry with you

So, from downtown San Salvador, the message lands like this: celebrating Jesus means more than saying his name, it means aiming your life at the Father’s will.

“I and My Father are one” becomes less of a debate topic and more of a daily prayer: “Let my will line up with God’s will, like his did.” Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, and Haribol, may your life get simpler, clearer, and more loving as you walk it out. What would change this week if you chose unity with God’s will, even in the small moments?

mariakerwin

As a former serial entrepreneur, she turned from a workaholic in the business world to freedom and creativity, living now as a writer, creator and world traveller. Since an early age Maria is close to death and what exists beyond, courageously exploring the dimensions of existence. A Kundalini Awakening guided her into the abyss of fully surrendering to the life force itself, crushing all known aspects of her old life. Finally, it led her to her purpose of bridging both worlds, connecting to what goes beyond the ordinary.

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