I don’t believe there is a God. I believe that God is all there is. Confused? Don’t be. It’s simply a matter of expanding our concept of God to get beyond the idea that we are separated from a spirit being who oversees every aspect of the universe.
God, no matter what name you choose to use, is far more than the being described in the revered books of man’s many different religions. I’m going to use the term ‘God,’ with the understanding that it’s not a name, but rather a concept. It seems to me that humanity has been trying to understand the universe and our place in it pretty much since the beginning of time . . . dare I say since we first stood upright in an African savannah millions of years ago?
In our efforts we’ve been limited by our understanding of the physical world and our place in it. Ego results in the idea that God is really a fantastic version of us; an individual being prone to the same emotions that control our behaviours . . . but backed up by having omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence. In effect, we’ve created God in our image. We’ve taken the Divine and stuffed it into a human skin in order to make it more understandable. Disagree with that idea? Pick up a copy of the Old Testament and have a read. There you’ll find the jealous God. The needy God. The demanding God. The loving God. The lonely God. In other words, all of the things that make us human.
But what if we could get beyond that concept? New Thought teachings, originating in the mid- to late-1800s do just that. There are different ideas even within this particular spiritual practice. My path has brought me to the point where I believe we, and the universe itself, are physical manifestations of the Divine.
We are spiritual beings experiencing a human existence. We are not separate from God. That which is Divine is found within each of us.
Now take that concept and think about it for a moment. There are those who ask where is God when people commit atrocities? How could He allow such things to happen? I have to agree. How could He? Except, of course, He is We. Next time you’re tempted to ask if there is a God, how come He lets horrible things happen, take a look in the mirror. Then ask, how could We let this happen?
We have yet to awaken to our spiritual magnificence. I’m not sure when we actually will. Hey, and I’m not exempt from this. Sure, I have my spiritual beliefs. But I don’t act like it all the time. That bit about spirit experiencing a human existence tends to get in the way. Yeah, I believe the Divine lives through each of us. So why do I struggle with forgiving some people for their actions or even for my perception of their actions?
Because I am human, that’s why. I don’t have all the answers. I struggle as much as anyone with the reality of day-to-day life. I’m not necessarily proud of it. But I am trying. I’m working on developing and understanding my spiritual side. That’s one of the goals for my 2010: Begin Again project.
When I sign off a message with ‘namaste,’ I want to mean it. There are different interpretations, but it is understood to express the idea that “I honour the Light within you,” or “That which is Divine within me, acknowledges and honours that which is Divine within you.”
That Divine that dwells within each of us, that surrounds us, that supports us, that is us, that is the universe . . . that is God.
Namaste.
Spiritual link: Here's a great talk from Unity Center of Walnut Creek, Calif. It's entitled "Entering the God Field."
Photos: JC and I enjoy a tussle. JC with my son, his dad, Devon. And JC by himself. They joined Lynda and me for dinner today. The Divine expresses itself through each of us.
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