Isn't pure faith that there is a God enough? To some, sure. To others, who or what God is becomes the basic blockage to any faith at all. The images of God are so unsettling or obscure, and perhaps this will not change that, but here goes.
If God is an omnipotent king sitting on a throne in some mystical place called "heaven" with pearly gates and all that; a power who can grant you your every wish (if he feels like it), then God becomes distant, petty, vengeful, picky and . . . well, a despot. We cannot truly build a relationship with this God. He rules. We act. We don't act. He smites us.
Even if God is a being of some sort who is also a benevolent dictator, who loves us all as we are, but is still judgmental, spiteful and sometimes downright cruel to those not "chosen" or "faithful" then how can we trust this God? Especially if we are all sinners? Is this really who or what God is? What sort of "being" is this God? Mysterious at best. Scary really.
We have all tried to be good. We have all asked for things we have never received. We have all asked for family members to recover from illness, yet they have died. We have prayed individually. Sumitted group prayers to the pastor. Counted beads, lit candles and all sorts of things these Gods seem to want, and yet we do not receive what we asked for or our family member dies. What is up with that?
We have suffered and received hardships that God could have stopped. Why did he let that happen? Then there are the "miracles." People of faithless relatives and mediocre pasts, at best, survive a disaster or recover from a terminal illness. What is up with that?
Even Jesus, when his faith that God would save him from the pain of the beatings and of the crucifiction was broken and he hung from the cross in severe pain, asked, "Father why have you foresaken me?" Even he felt let down by this omnipotent God-king. How then can we, mere mortals, have a deep and trusting relationship with this sort of God?
If we do not believe in the Zeus-like characterization, but have no other concept of what or who God is, then how can we truly have a relationship with it, whatever it is? So who or what God is, it seems to me, is critical if we are going to have a true relationship.
When we see "God" not as an entity but as a real spiritual internet, the collective spirit that is composed of and connected to every other soul on the planet, then how we think of that relationship changes. We can have a relationship with other people. We do it all the time in person and even etherially in the actual electronic internet, and it works for us.
People can empathize with us, but they cannot completely protect us. We get that.
People can understand us, even if they do not agree with us. We get that.
People can share our joy, love us unconditionally and with conditions, and we get that.
We understand the frailties and strengths of people and inherently understand the power of bonding with others to enhance our own strengths and shore up our own frailties.
When we recognize who we are praying to and their limitations, our prayers become less selfish. We know that our family, friends, congregation, neighbors and team mates cannot grant us our every wish. Knowing this about who and what God is has changed the way I pray.
Jesus said, "Ask and you shall receive." We contemplate that what he meant was that if you are faithful and believe in the one God enough he will give you anything you want. If you ask and you don't get it, then you are obviously not faithful enough.
I think what he meant, however, is that the Holy Spirit, the spiritual internet, the Harmony, goes both ways. Ask for guidance, and you will receive it. Ask for truth, and you will receive it. Ask how to stay in harmony with all other living things, and you will know in your heart what is the right thing to do.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It is not, Do unto others as I say you should.
He told us to love one another, to love everyone no matter who they are, including our enemies. Be in harmony with all other souls.
According to the Lord's prayer, you are only forgiven to the extent you forgive others, not to some set rule from a despot. Forgive and you will be forgiven back.
Jesus implored us not to judge one another, but to leave that to God later. Be in harmony even with those who are different than you, who disagree with you, who dislike you, who do not understand you, etc.
The message is reciprocal not dictatorial. This flows through the teachings of Jesus and almost every other great philosopher and prophet throughout time. The Harmony is all-inclusive.
What is amazing in my life is that when I connect to the Harmony and do what I know in my heart is the right thing to do, things go well. I am acting in Harmony with all other souls around me. I become connected to people I need to be connected to seemingly out of the blue. I find a place that is right for me. I stay centered, more relaxed and dramatically less concerned over things like money. I know. I have faith, that when I listen to the Holy Spirit, the spiritual internet, the Harmony, my life is in balance, in harmony and connected.
Try it. It is very easy and of course it is rather difficult. NEVER do what you feel you should do if you know in your heart you should not do it, no matter what Grandma says or will think. NEVER do what you want to do WHEN you know in your heart it is not the right thing to do. ALWAYS do what you know in your heart is the right thing to do. When you do, no matter what that action or inaction may be, you will be in Harmony will all other souls and the result will be the right, spiritually harmonious result for you.
That is why who or what "God" is, matters. More to come. Enjoy life!
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