The Pageless Book

Several different and competing views concerning the nature of the Divine seem irreconcilable. The dichotomy that I want to tackle in this article is of the intimate relationship with the Divine and the claim that the Divine is ultimately beyond human knowledge and understanding. How can we be intimate with something so vast and alien as God? The Divine is to our logical minds as a mainframe computer is to a dog’s mind. We simply cannot grasp its full measure.

At least, that is one way of seeing things. It also happens to be the way I’ve presented the Divine throughout my articles thus far. Will I continue to argue that God is unknowable? Of course, but the real question is, do I also believe that we can be intimate with something so far beyond our intellectual capabilities? Yes.

It may seem impossible to some, but I believe that we as humans are intimate with the strange and unknowable all the time. Stargazers are intimate with glimmering points of light in the night sky, and call them by name. Sailors feel intimate with the sea, and feel her call. Travelers, not content merely to read about other places, seek out these places for personal new experiences. It is the unknowable quality of these things that drive them to want a relationship with them. It is that unknowable quality that keeps the conversation going.

In Christianity, particularly Protestantism, followers are encouraged to have a personal relationship with Jesus. We have given Jesus Christ a personality, a voice, and a face; this is not an unknowable God, but a very intimate person with whom you can break bread and share wine. The Bible contains his words, with which you can learn more about whom he was, and what he was like. We make the Divine personal in this way, so to seem knowable. Isn’t that preferable to an unknown and distant God?

The problem is that this is a man-made image of God; Jesus Christ is the golden calf of Christianity. What you have isn’t a personal relationship with God, but instead you have a personal relationship with an idea of what God might be like. You think you know God, so you stop asking questions. It’s like falling in love with the idea of love. We are assuming that object of your affection is not merely an idea, but a real person despite how little you know of that person. How do you build a personal relationship with someone we don’t know? Through interaction.

How do we build a personal relationship with God? Interaction, of course. Just because you cannot know the nature of God does not mean you cannot commune with God. How can we interact or communicate with God? Through prayer and meditation, but even more important, through living your life fully aware of your circumstances and the consequences of your actions.

The Divine speaks though your life, in my experience. The Gated Emptiness pointed out to me you gain a deeper an understanding of the Divine with the more attention you pay to living your life in the best manner possible. Your relationships will be richer, your successes more fulfilling, and your failures will become new opportunities.

Try it yourself. It isn’t easy, but it can be done. Living perfectly may be impossible; by being more aware of the life you are living, you may learn to enjoy it more, regardless of any hardships. That is how you become intimate with the Divine.

Top Photo by Kenneth Freeman. Middle Photo by Gisela Giardino. Final Photo by Katie Tegtmeyer. Originally Posted October 22nd, 2007

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written by John \\ tags: God, Inspiration, Life, Meditation, Prayer, Reason

Photo Above by Angela Hopper.

Jules from a UU Deist in Texas has tagged me for yet another blogging meme. I’m suppose to provide ten weird, random facts about myself. I could do much more, but I think I’ll stick with ten. Also, I don’t think it would hurt to try to stick with the theme of my blog for this one, so I’ll try to choose facts that deal with religion or spirituality.

1) I taught myself meditation when I was elementary school. One would think that such early experience with meditation would make it a life long habit. Alas, no - I have become woefully lazy in adulthood, and rarely make time for meditation.

2) I used to peruse Wiccan, pagan, and occult websites during my programming classes in high school. Suffice to say, I no longer remember how to program in BASIC, but I’m still perusing those websites.

3) For Halloween one year, the church that my mother sent us to for Sunday School asked the children to dress up as Biblical characters. They took offense when my brother an I showed up with toy six shooters and ten gallon hats. Cowboys, apparently, do not appear in the Bible.

4) Same church taught that drinking alcohol and smoking were sinful, and unrepentant drinkers and smokers were going to hell. My mother, who used to drink and smoke, took offense to that. Needless to say, my brother and I were pretty much un-churched from then forward.

5) At one point in my childhood, my parents were toying with the idea of becoming Mormons. Yes, I’m well aware of the irony.

6) My mother, my brother, and I have had extensive conversations discussing the meaning behind Marilyn Manson, Nirvana, and Nine Inch Nails lyrics - particularly within a religious and moral contexts. My mother’s thinking was that if we were mature enough understand it, we were mature enough to listen.

7) I think I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again - I knew I wanted to become minister before even knowing what religion to become a minister of. Yes, that is a very backwards way to approach religion.

When I told my mother that I felt I was no longer a Christian, she remarked that she was more afraid that I was going to tell her that I was a homosexual. No, that didn’t sit well with me, but I let it slide at the time because it meant exploring new faiths without having to hide my activities.

9) Learning about The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley, Qabalah, and Gnosticism gave me a renewed respect for the Jewish God and Jesus Christ. Catholic Theologians everywhere are turning in their graves so fast that they are generating electricity!

10) Oh, and lets not forget that whole “Omnitheism” / “The Gated Emptiness” thing that this site has going for it. There is nothing stranger than an eccentric blogging about his beliefs…

I will forgo tagging others for now, seeing as I’m still getting back into the swing of things. Hopefully you’ve found this entertaining. Namaste.

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written by John \\ tags: Bible, Blogging, Christian, Meme, Occult, Religion, Spirituality

Photo Above by Richard Rutter. Photo Below by Lee Chisholm.

The Master doesn’t talk, he acts. When his work is done, the people say, “Amazing, we did it all by ourselves!” - Tao Te Ching, verse 17, Mitchell Translation.

At work, I’ve been trying to foster people-management skills within myself to further my career and in preparation to go into ministry. Too often I’ve heard that being a minister for a Unitarian Universalist Congregation is like herding cats, so I figured management-skills would be an important asset. What I’ve found interesting, though, is how much management philosophy has in common with my spiritual philosophy.

A great deal of emphasis is placed on achieving success through indirect means. For example, although managers have power and privilege above that of a normal employee, the point of those benefits is not to enjoy them for yourself, but to use them in accomplishing your job. The training material that I’ve read suggests using that power and privilege to reward employees and ensure they have the tools needed to succeed.

For those who’ve never been in a position of management before, it is quite a paradigm shift. Instead of doing something as a means to accomplishing an end, you are influencing people as a means to accomplish an end. Each manager is given the authority to make demands, force results, and discipline employees, but the power that a manager has isn’t derived from using his authority - rather it is from having the authority yet not using it that he is able to get things done. It is through mutual trust, respect, and communication that a manager achieves results.

What is perhaps even more interesting is how a manager finds job satisfaction in the achievement of others. They are like engine grease; it is their job to make sure all of the parts are running smoothly and aren’t causing friction. A manager knows he has done a good job when he is no longer needed to get the job done. It requires a sense of the larger picture - a manager needs to be able to see how all the parts of the business fit together.

How are these thinks like spirituality? The same panoramic understanding of business, when applied to life, helps us see our place in the grand scheme of things. We know that we are but a small part of a whole, greater than the sum of its parts. Power is not within money or fame, but in the trust and respect of others. People are the ultimate power source; they create authority. The trick is to understand that power and authority is most effective when given back to that source of power and authority. Using the trust people place within you against the better interests of those people results in diminished respect… diminished authority.

The lessons are clear - pay attention, respect and be respected, do good unto each other. Moral teaching of the great religions have found a home within effective management philosophy. Of course, that doesn’t mean that learning how to manage people is easy. Then again, neither is religion.

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written by John \\ tags: Career, Lessons, Life, Religion, Spirituality, Work

Photo Above by Mohamed Abdulla Shafeeg. Photo Below by Toni Lozano.

At the beginning of this week, I felt restless and discontent, but couldn’t put my finger on exactly what was bothering me. Although I am currently on vacation, I hadn’t been truly enjoying myself. What is it that was bothering me? For the life of me, I just couldn’t grasp it.

I discussed it over dinner with my wife, and she asked exactly what it was that I had planned to accomplish while I was off. My personal agenda included spending quality time with her, writing, hiking, and going down to the beach. Then she asked if there was something keeping me from doing those things. I explained that I just didn’t feel inspired to write and felt altogether disconnected. The problem was that I had not felt spiritually nurtured these past few days. Cathy then suggested that I write about the importance of daily spiritual nurturing - here I am doing exactly that.

You see, I’m not very good at taking the time for my spiritual pursuits. I go to church on Sundays, but sometimes that isn’t enough. Church is a social gathering place, and as such a few Sundays out of the year focus on that social aspect - last Sunday was just one of those Sundays. Couple that with my habit of staying up well past midnight, as well as not taking proper care of my anxiety, and Johnny-boy becomes a soulless twitching zombie. It’s important that I find the time to do *something* spiritual each day, and writing about spirituality is too cerebral to count.

Why is it so important that I do something spiritual each day? Because it provides clarity and inspiration. I love to create and my main outlet for creativity is writing. Without proper inspiration, my writing becomes noticeably flat. Spiritual practices allow my to step away from my fears and live a fuller life. As an introvert, I have a hard time connecting with others - but spirituality makes it possible for me to let down my guard and become more personable. Although I am naturally an optimist, I have also had bouts of depression in the past. Spirituality helps me maintain a positive outlook and is good therapy when I find this challenging.

If nothing else, I should at the very least find time to meditate every day. Optimally, I would like to meditate, read, pray, and perhaps engage in a little qabalistic ritual every day, but that might be a bit of a tall order for me, seeing as I’m such a slacker. Regardless of what I do, doing a little bit each day is what I personally need in my life. I don’t pretend to speak for everyone, but I find it necessary. Perhaps you might feel the same way?

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written by John \\ tags: Inspiration, Life, Nurturing, Ritual, Spirituality

Image Above by Hyun Lee. Photo Below by Kah Zanon.

You wouldn’t know it by all the theological terms used and violence done under the banner of one religion or another, but the heart of spirituality is child-like. We, as adults, try to take all the fun out of spirituality. Why are we so disappointed when we dissect poetry for literal meaning? How can we expect to have a feeling of awe and mystery when we debate, analyze, and label every aspect of our religions? Are we so caught up in our own insecurities - our own arrogance - that we seek to control even that which gives succor to our very soul?

The heart of spirituality is filled with awe, curiosity, gratitude, and hope - all are attributes we characterize as being child-like. These are also attributes of vulnerability. When we are in awe of something, whether it be nature, life, love, or God, we are giving up our power over that thing. When curious, we discard our assumptions and open ourselves to learning something that might contradict what we currently believe. In times when we show gratitude, we give recognition to those aspects of our life which we don’t control, yet still sustain us. Finally, when we hope, we trust that the future will give us the opportunity to make a better life for ourselves, despite the fact that there is no way of knowing.

Adults don’t like to be vulnerable, yet we cannot overlook the fact that true, deep, abiding spirituality demands it. So how do we instill in ourselves those child-like qualities? Personally, I look to my god-child and niece for inspiration. From the day I first held her, I’ve been learning to see the world through a child’s eyes. One of the things that has always characterized my relationship with my niece is laughter. Even when she was an infant, I would talk in a funny voice to her and she would laugh hysterically.

These days, at the mature and noble age of five and a half, she is always remarking how silly I am. And I am silly. I am willing to play the fool in any situation to remind her of what is and isn’t important in life, while constantly learning the same from her. I think it’s important for all adults to have a child or child-like person in their life to provide perspective. We need those experiences to make it easier to see ourselves as children of God. I know that sounds trite, but it rings true that our spiritual experiences comes from that place of a child’s love.

Jimmy Hendrix’s song “Little Wing” recalls a young girl who embodies all the hope and curiosity of youth. In that song, all things fanciful are in no short supply - she can have anything - yet all the girl wants is to fly on the wind. We call a young girl with such a free heart “innocent.” If it was a older woman which such a free heart, we would call her wise. Why is that? I don’t think there is that much of a difference.

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written by John \\ tags: Childhood, Inspiration, Life, Love, Spirituality

Photo Above by ButterflySha. Photo Below by Steve Evans.

“If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.”
- Meister Eckhart, 1260– 1328.

I don’t remember the exact time it first happened, but I do remember it was during a gathering with my in-laws. My wife was seated on my right, and her grandmother was on my left side. On one end of the table was my father-in-law, and on the other end was my mother-in-law. Across from us was my brother-in-law, his wife, and between them sat Samantha, my niece and god-child. Food, glorious sustenance, was set out before us. Before anyone could lay one hand on a roll, Samantha said, for the first time of what would become a tradition at such gatherings, “We need to say the words!” My wife and I looked at each other in mild displeasure.

Why displeasure, you may ask? What exactly was it that I have against saying grace? It is because I felt excluded. Many non-Christians feel singled out when called upon to pray in public. Think of the position we are placed in: we can either pretend to pray with everyone else, betraying our own beliefs while insulting the integrity of the beliefs of others, or we can stand there in awkward silence, feeling out of place and perhaps a little bit ostracized. That may not be the intention of the practice of public prayer, but it is often the effect.

Non-Christians often develop a negative attitude in regards to prayer in general, due to our Christian brethren’s insistence on public prayer. In all honesty, this negativity may be part of what fuels the debate on school prayer. It is this reluctance to pray that concerns me - not only my own resistance to prayer, but the lack of prayer among non-Christians in general. The problem is that prayer is so much apart of the Christian experience, than when a person leaves the Christian religion, they feel they must leave behind this deeply spiritual practice as well.

The truth is, prayer has always been a meaningful method of communing with the Divine and has existed since the dawn of civilization. No one group of people can lay claim to this practice as being exclusively their own. As people of alternative spiritual paths, we need to recognize that it is everyone’s inherited right to communicate with the Divine through prayer. We need to reclaim prayer as our own and find a meaningful way in which people of all faiths can pray together.

So how will I reintegrate prayer into my spiritual practices without alienating my Christian in-laws? By requesting a silent prayer when in public, and praying in earnest when alone. Ironically enough, that is exactly how Jesus recommended that his followers pray. In Matthew 6:5, Jesus instructs his followers saying, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.”

This passage in the Bible leads me to believe that perhaps even the early Christians felt excluded because of the practice of public prayer in ancient Rome. It does no one harm to gently remind them of that possibility. Next time I am at a gathering with family, perhaps I will do just that.

Originally posted September 29th, 2007.

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written by John \\ tags: Christian, Faith, Family, Prayer, Religion, Ritual, Tradition

Above Photo by Manuel Canevet. Below Photo by Brendan Dolan-Gavitt.

“Intolerance betrays want of faith in one’s cause”
Mahatma Gandhi, 1869 - 1948.

I’ve never been a man who enjoys conflict. In all my life, from childhood to my present age, I may have been involved in half a dozen physical altercations, most of which were with my younger brother. I’m the type of guy who would rather walk away from a fight with my damaged pride than stand my ground and turn an intellectual pissing contest into an exchange of blows. There are, however, some things that I will always stand up against: bigotry in all forms, especially religious intolerance.

One of the main purposes behind this blog is to serve as a vehicle with which to fight religious intolerance. Too long have I watched the narrow minded old men of mainstream religion spout their vitriol over television, radio, and in print. Too long have they spoken against common sense, using their titles of Reverend, Pastor, and Father as justification for their bigotry. At one time, the scriptures of the Bible were used to rationalize segregation and sexism; the same text is now used to vindicate homophobia and war. These men of hatred hide behind the pretense of religious freedom and tolerance, like Trojans within their horse, seeking to dismantle the institutions of religious freedom and tolerance from the inside out.

I have to ask myself, how can I alone could stand up against these men? I’m not an authority. Though I am working towards becoming a Minister, I don’t even have a B.A. degree in religion. I am nearly powerless. I might as well be a homeless man on the street corner with a sign reading “The End is Nigh” for what all my credibility and influence is worth. The only thing I have is my faith in humanity. Is that enough? It will have to be.

Yet, I cannot allow myself the luxury of advocating to only those who agree with me. Sitting around listening to others agree with me would be nice, but I wouldn’t be accomplishing much. I have every intention of bringing my message of tolerance to those who will not listen. This, of course, will result in conflict. You cannot have change without conflict - even Jesus knew this. In Matthew 10:34, Jesus said, “Think not that I come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” He is not speaking of literal violence, but instead of the conflict that is inherent in challenging the ideas held by others - family in particular.

Which brings me back to my very own “narrow minded old man.” Even though I love my family, I am afraid that they will not approve of this new endeavor. I have, in the past, been the source of controversy within my own extended family. For quite a number of years, I didn’t have anything to do with my grandparents or my aunts and uncles, if only because of my difference in beliefs and ideas. They still do not know the full extend of my ‘rebellion’ against their expectations. I am sad that I may never have the opportunity to truly let them know who I am. It is with that same sadness that Jesus said “I came not to send peace, but a sword.”

Though the path I walk places me directly into conflict with my loved ones and asks of me to be uncharacteristically confrontational, I still have faith that I can make a difference. If nothing else, I know that I will have been true to myself and to the Divine. That alone makes me worthy of this task.

Originally Posted September 28, 2007

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written by John \\ tags: Bible, Family, Freedom, Humanity, Life, Religion

Above Photo by Dino Olivieri. Photo Below by The Wandering Angel.

Meditation is act of making your “self” small, so that the Truth might rise to the surface. We each already have Truth; it is an instinctive part of human composition. Truth is built into every cell of your body, every motion, moment and memory. However, this “self” pushes that Truth down, obscuring our view and hindering our reach.

It isn’t the original intent of the self to obscure or hinder the Truth. We are each endowed with an ego to aid in our survival. In order to ensure our well being, we must each care about that being that is ourselves. The sense of self, or ego, is a system of ideas and emotions that collectively serve to protect our individual persons from harm. It also works in concert with our ability to reason to further help secure our safety. Because our ego works so closely with our ability to reason, we can sometimes become confused between the self and the logic it uses to keep us safe. The philosophical conclusion “I think, therefore I am” is evidence of this confusion.

We each come to the determination that “I think, therefore I am” at a very young age, which is then reinforced by the society in which we are born. It isn’t by any means incorrect nor can it be called true; this concept is merely useful. This immature idea is a stepping stone to a greater understanding, yet achieving that understanding is not essential to our survival. So we hesitate to exert ourselves in the search for Truth.

Our existence is not dependent upon our thought, but instead is dependent upon our perception. We each become so tied up in our own inner dialogue that we forget what is happening outside ourselves. As each layer of ego becomes cemented in our consciousness, it becomes harder to separate our perceptions from our sense of self. Everything becomes more subjective, no matter how much logic is applied to those perceptions. Our hearing is muted by the constant drone of dialogue, eyes dimmed by the theater behind our eyes, and skin numbed by the wild cold waters of our emotions.

Meditation helps quiet the chatter, end the film, and warm the body so we may pay attention to what is real. It makes our sense of self increasingly small, shrinking around us as we compare it to what we perceive. Slowly, consciousness comes to realize that what is perceived is just as much apart of it as the self. The self becomes like clothing that one dons to keep warm; necessary but not an integral part of a human being. With the self now under the control, Truth becomes obvious. In some cultures this state is called Heaven or Nirvana. This is what Jesus meant when he said that the Kingdom of his father was within.

Make the self small. Shrink it with heavy doses of humility and patience. Write yourself reminders that your “self” is entirely unimportant without the Truth which it conceals. Wrestle loose its blinds from your eyes so you may be free. The eye perceives, therefore both perceived and perceiver exists.

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written by John \\ tags: Inspiration, Meditation, Reason, Spirituality

Above Photo by Conor Lawless. Photo Below by Hyperfinch. Goddess Image by Dave Gough. Last Photo Below by D.A.K. Photography.

Wicca is one religious path that remains near and dear to my heart. When I first began looking into other religions, Wicca was one of the first that piqued my interest. While I am far too monotheistic to fully embrace Wicca, what I have learned from that religion affects my spiritual journey even today.

I first learned of Wicca by reading the original printing of True Magick by Amber K. I was a teenager and, having officially declared myself a non-Christian to my rather open minded parents, felt like being a little bit rebellious. Getting involved in something like “witchcraft” seemed to more than qualify. However, my interests became less superficial the more I learned. Wicca opened my eyes to the divine within nature, within the feminine, and within myself.

Nature

Western Culture has this annoying habit of sanctifying concepts and secularizing the physical world. In no way is this more tangible than in the way we treat the natural world. We have this perception of land being a commodity and limitless resource, believing wrongly that it exists solely to support humanity and our interests. This attitude has taken a toll on the environment and its wildlife. Only now in our history are we beginning to seriously fear the repercussions of our actions and looking for ways in which we can repair the damage. Many people wonder if we are too late.

In Christianity and other mainstream religions, the innate Divinity within nature is down-played and sometimes even demonized. Being raised Christian, my connection to nature was muted, even though I had always been humbled by nature. When I finally tapped into nature as a source of spiritual sustenance, the Wiccan doctrine of embracing nature as Divine came easily, as if it was a part of my heritage. This truth had been at the foundation of humanity’s first spiritual experiences. Honoring nature instead of seeing it as yet another resource for plundering helped me touch another side of the Divine I had never considered, and showed me how the delicate web of life cradles us all.

The Feminine

Sexuality has a lot in common with spirituality; both speak to the very essence of who we are as individuals and both are rooted painfully deep within the psyche. Like most Americans, at some point I was indoctrinated into believing that sex is some dirty cheep thrill, meant only for the pretty and well-endowed. Our culture became saturated with this message that turns women into objects and men into animals. The root of the problem is the failure to accept sexuality as being an expression of the Divine. Wiccan celebration of sexuality and the personification of the Divine as female goes against the grain of our culture and, in part, helps to heal the damage this message has done.

I cannot honestly say that I am as enlightened to the spiritual nature of sexuality as I would like to be. As a man, I still have problems separating myself from the message of what our society says sex should be like and accept the spiritual significance of a female divinity. However, my experiences as a Wiccan have helped me accept and embrace the feminine aspect of myself, which helps in reaching the other two truths. Despite not seeing the Divine as being female or male, my understanding of the Divine has been greatly affected by the Wiccan Goddess and the truths she represents.

The Self

It may smack of egotism and hubris to some, however, recognizing the self as being divine is probably one of the most powerful ways in which to get in touch with the Divine. Western Culture frowns upon reveling in one’s own innate divinity, beauty, and truth, preferring instead that we accept the Christian doctrine of original sin. Wicca, however, encourages radical use of innate divinity by teaching that each individual has a direct affect upon the world in which we live through ritual. They call this witchcraft or simply magic. Say what you want about the plausibility of magic - it is still one of the central teachings of Wicca and does have a noticeably positive impact on spirituality.

Although I didn’t practice much Wiccan magic, the concepts behind witchcraft later opened me to other occult theories and ideas. Together, these have been a boon to my self confidence, self respect, and self love. How many people today can say that they love themselves? I can. While I don’t stand behind witchcraft’s claim to manipulate reality, I do trust that ritual, whether Wiccan or otherwise, is a powerful psychological tool with which an individual can change themselves.

Perhaps Wicca no longer fulfills my spiritual needs, but it should be obvious that I still hold this religion in high esteem. Where other religions are several steps back from liberating the individual, this religion represents several steps forward. Because it has been such a large part of my personal spiritual journey, Wicca will always have a place in my heart.

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written by John \\ tags: God, Humanity, Occult, Religion, Ritual, Sexuality, Spirituality, Wicca

Above Photo by Francisco Antunes. Photo Below by Prakhar Amba.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been feeling out of touch with myself spiritually. I really needed to push everything aside and give myself some time to reconnect. If you haven’t guessed it by now, my recent absence is due to this reason. Despite writing about spirituality almost everyday, I’ve realized that alone doesn’t make me feel spiritual. I needed a time without distractions to focus on my spiritual well-being. It isn’t easy finding that time, but it is important that we each try to do so.

Although there are many important advantages to our culture becoming more secularized, there has been one important disadvantage - the loss of the Sabbath day. Whether you attend church or not, I think everybody can appreciate a full day of rest. Not only did this day serve as a time of spiritual reflection, but also served as a chance for family members to reconnect. We are an incredibly busy people; without a mutual day of rest we have the tendency to lose touch with the people we care about.

For me, that means losing touch with my wife. I didn’t have off this Valentine’s Day and I knew that lately we haven’t spent as much time together. This offered me another compelling reason to give this blog a rest for a few days. More importantly, my resistance to the idea of letting go of tending to my blog for a week signaled for me that I was becoming increasingly sucked in by the digital world, while neglecting the intrinsically human experience of spirituality.

And it isn’t just the on-line world that sucks away at our souls; television, video games, music, work, and even books or literature can serve to distance ourselves from our friends, our family, and the self. At times it is necessary to push all of this away, cut ourselves free from our preoccupation with entertainment or success and focus on each other. Too much of anything can have a negative impact on our lives and reliance on any one thing as an escape from reality can become an addiction.

All these reasons show why in the book of Genesis God rests on the seventh day of creation. The writers of Genesis were setting an example for humanity to follow. We humans, as a society or as individuals, make a thing holy or secular; the Sabbath day was once holy and can be again for those who choose to make it so. However, it would take the agreement between many different spiritual paths, including those who are not religious, to make a mutual day of rest a reality again. That isn’t likely to happen again for a long time; such is the marching beat of progress.

Can we, however, hold one day a week holy just for ourselves? We each only try for ourselves.

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written by John \\ tags: Family, God, Humanity, Prayer, Ritual, Spirituality