During one of these pacing/muttering episodes, I was reminded of Nicodemus' conversation with Christ in John 3. Recall that Nicodemus was a rabbi, a Pharisee and a member of the Sandhedrin - the jewish equivalent of a first century cardinal. In short, Christ is not talking to a simple farmer or fisherman, but to a learned member of the clergy.
Christ talks about being born again and Nicodemus asks how this works in physical terms. No no, replies Jesus, I'm talking figuratively, that ones being is reborn through water and the Spirit (It is likely that Christ is referring to the Mikveh, the ritual purification rite involving immersion in water, which is what John the Baptist was doing). Physical is physical and Spirit is Spirit, so don't be all surprised when I say that you need to be reborn in the Spirit.
Then Christ says that the Spirit blows where it wills, we can see the effects, but we have no idea where it comes from or goes and that's how it works for everyone born in the Spirit. This is where the train takes a turn. I make this break because it really appears that the conversation is shifting. Nicodemus asks "how is this possible?" Christ then goes into some depth of the Universality of God
This rebirth is not a matter of ashes and fire, but of paradigm shift. The world isn't as you saw it before, but much bigger, greater, more complex and wonderful than you previously imagined. It's not about rules and regulations, ancient pacts and dusty tomes. It is about the living world in the here and now, immediate and direct in a way which can't be rationalized or ignored.
It is about encountering God in Her creation.
One thing to point out here is that rebirth is typically somewhat painful. Your way of thinking must be shaken to the core and at least somewhat disassymbled in order to be put back together in a new fashion.
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