First, I’m a huge fan of Seth Godin’s blog, and his posts are ALL shorter than this is going to be. ‘Forewarned is forearmed’ as they say, but this post is about answering the mail in some ways and that just may take a bit longer. At least one loved one has asked me “What DO you believe?”, probably in response to me talking about what I don’t, and it occurred to me this morning that it’s time for me to say – so here goes…
I believe God (or Spirit, or Allah, or any name you use for what I’m about to describe) IS Love, in its purest sense. That’s beautiful in its simplicity which is probably why we teach it to children; it may be a great place to stop and focus spiritual education for all ages as we move forward in an increasingly diverse world. I say that as a long time attendee and teacher of Methodist Sunday Schools and participant in intensive bible studies at various stages in my life, but while it can be intellectually stimulating to dig into the origins and meanings of any great spiritual text it is not an ongoing requirement to practice the essence of them. At its worst, it can contribute to belief in a specific framework that is actually a hindrance to the right frame of mind for the truth that God is Love, or become a substitute activity for actually being out in the world and being Love, or both. The Golden Rule is pretty straightforward.
I don’t believe in heaven or hell (and I’m sure some may say that’s convenient.) As concepts they just don’t engender a loving existence, which to me means they can’t be of God but are constructs of man, and as a result are flawed. At their worst they bring forward emotions of guilt, or fear, both of which are opposites of love. When Jesus said the kingdom of heaven was at hand I believe he meant it was here and now, hence the teaching of ‘whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me’ needs to be taken to heart as we move through the world around us, right now. As for hell, there are plenty of people in the world today who are suffering through hell as anyone paying attention knows, just by looking around and having ears to hear, and eyes to see…
I believe in the power of prayer, or meditation, or however someone dedicates a space in their life to “Be still and know…” It’s effectiveness is as a spiritual feeding time, for filling ourselves with the understanding of who we are and enjoying the gratitude of receiving insights in response. It is a necessary, interactive mental activity to understand what our best role is in being God’s hands in our corner of the world.
God is Love, and is a fundamental part of who we all are; that force inside every mentally and spiritually healthy human being that makes us feel better when we’re truly loving than when we’re hating, or fearing, or worrying. There have been and continue to be many great teachers of that truth and many paths to follow to fulfill it in the world, probably as many different paths as there are those trying to follow. My path has not been the straightest nor has it needed to be, it just needs to be intentional, my daily challenge.
Keep me honest.
