World day of Prayer
Category: UNITY
2nd Principle
So, I am reading a novel. It is for fun. Because of my ministerial studies over the past 6 years, I have mostly read serious and study related books. So, now that I am approaching the end of my studies, I have given myself permission to read just for fun. I like crime stories particularly those that is mixed with a bit of romance. It is important for me that it is light hearted and fun. It is also important that it is engaging and the characters are interesting and relatable. I have chosen Amanda Quick’s (pseudo name) novels.
I like her books. They are witty and engaging; they are not too violent and they have wonderfully complex characters. I must admit that the rather explicit sex scenes got me by surprised but I realized that there are hardly any TV shows or major films without at least one explicit sex scene. So, I concluded that this is the fashion these day. Most of her books take place in the regency era in England.
The book I am reading right now, Mischief, – a rather interesting title for a book that has not much mischief in it, in my opinion – has two main characters: an earl and a lady of little means. They are a married couple who need to untangle some mystery and series of crimes. The story is interesting but I am more fascinated with the two main characters who display wonderfully human characteristics.
Can a church be non-religious?
Healing with Metaphysics
Anything can be interpreted metaphysically, and by doing so, we can become aware of what stands between us and God or the Divine Presence. Every time we release or heal a blockage we become freer, happier, and lighter.
When our life is ‘challenging’ or we are facing problems, we can sit in the silence and look at what’s happening. Then, we can start ‘interpreting’ the information in terms of messages or learnings. The Spirit of God constantly communicates with us through different means such as life events.
We are always asked not to place any ’emotions’ or ‘attitude’ on the event, instead, look at it as ‘message’. When we react, we do not see clearly.
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthian 13:12 NLT
It is important to understand that we are not to manipulate or ‘get rid of’ the experience by gaining clarity of the messages. The message is there for us to learn, grow and move into greater freedom in ourselves and a deeper connection with the Divine Presence.
When we use metaphysical interpretation for any life events, we can get in touch with the key to moving though it and releasing it. Then we will surely find ourselves at a better place in our life.
Let me give you an example. I have a client who is often constipated. He has an obsession with regular bowel movement and often has trouble with his digestive system, stool and bowels to the point that he distorts facts and requests to have an enema to relieve his self-imposed constipation.
Louis L Hay suggests to ask oneself the question “What is it that I cannot digest?’ when it comes to digestive issues. In my observation, food and the digestive system are also related to nurturing or the lack of. Bowel movement and shifting stool is about releasing unwanted and poisonous elements from our system. Having issues in that area may suggest difficulty in letting go of fossilized, unsupportive thinking patters and belief system. Additionally, requesting that someone else ‘fixes’ the problem suggests an inability or unwillingness to deal with issues at hand.
Constant problems in this area suggests to me that the problem started in childhood around nurturing which was not healed so it became somewhat ‘indigestible’ and became and acute problem. I often find that people with digestive and weight issues have a problem with self-nurturing through eating healthier and taking care of their bodies in a loving manner.
Acute digestive system related issues also suggest difficulty in letting go and releasing a particular past events. When that occurs, we drag the past into the present and we ‘react’ from the pain and fear of the past to an event in the present.
SUGGESTIONS
If it was me, I would start both an inner and outer healing process through meditation, prayer and developing new and healthier habits. I would have a conversation with a therapist, a coach, or a pastor so to gain deeper understanding of what I am dealing with from the past. Then, I would use my prayer time to consciously, forgive and let go of thoughts, beliefs, and emotions associated with that past event or series of events. I would find meditations that help me move through a forgiveness process that is often the key to issues around lack of nurturing. At the end of each meditation and prayer session, I would give it all up and release it all into God or the Divine Presence, asking for support with my process and being lifted higher into greater health and freedom.
At the same time, I would look into – with the support of a coach, therapist or pastor – developing loving ways to nurture myself both inside and out.
Whit Monday
What is Whit Monday?
Pentecost Monday, also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit, and most commonly as Whit Monday, is a holiday that is celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast that is determined by the date of Easter. Whit Monday specifically represents the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, also marking the resumption of Ordinary Time after Easter.
The name “Whit Monday” actually comes from the English name for one of the three baptismal seasons in Pentecost, being “Whitsunday”. The origin of “Whitsunday” itself is generally believed to come from the white garments that used to be worn by those newly baptised on this feast.
The Holy Spirit
Who or what is the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost?
In my understanding, the Holy Spirit is the ‘guide’, the ‘connecter’, the covenant between the individualized soul – which is a spark of God – and the Divine Presence . The energy that we call God or the Divine Presence is our source of being but we not able to connect with it because we have ‘turned away’ – often called sinned or errored – from our source.
Imagine that you always look downwards – which we actually do – instead of looking upwards that would enable us to connect with God.
The Holy Spirit is our covenant, it connects us seekers with the Divine Presence through various means such as ‘hunches’, inner experiences, unexpected events and more.
In a way, God, realized that the souls living in each human being had gone dormant because of their downward gazing state. So, God ‘sent’ a covenant, the Holy Spirit, to help the souls finding their connection back to God.
Enlightened masters, such as Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Mohammed, etc. were ‘carriers’ of the Holy Spirit because of their deep connectedness with the Divine Presence. In their teachings they extended the gifts of the Holy Spirit onto those who were attracted to their teachings.
The Holy Spirit has different names in different traditions but the functions are the same.
Below is a quotation from Charles Fillmore, one of the founders of Unity. Please remember that this text was written in the later 1800’s by someone who was raised in the Christian faith but was later inspired to create a spiritual movement that embraces all religions, all faith, all races and other spiritual movements.
Pentecost
The promise of the Holy Spirit
Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter and is when Christians remember the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – which is how Christians understand God, and is the means by which God is active on Earth.
“…behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city (Jerusalem) until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:29)
Metaphysically reading this quote, we are promised to be blessed with a deeper relationship with the Divine Presence as long as we stay in connection within through meditation and prayer. I often heard ‘Jerusalem’ described as an inner place, similar to an inner sanctuary, where we can always commune with God. So, we are asked to stay in meditation until we are ‘clothed from the high’, until we feel one with the Divine Presence.
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Acts 2:1-4
The promise of the Pentecost can be understood as a fulfillment of our hard work. We have spent the 40 days of Lent releasing our limitations, than we moved into different celebrations of Easter and Gudi Pavda, then we moved into contemplation over Passover, then the people of the Orthodox faith celebrated Easter, a lifting of the Spirit higher after having released some of its burdens or karma, and finally we have arrived to the week of the Pentecost starting today: the moment when we receive the blessings of the Holy Spirit which is freedom in being a unique expression of God as we are.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Messiah, as though Yahveh God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Messiah, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20)
Metaphysical and Compassion
In Unity we look at events and spiritual texts through the lens of metaphysics. Metaphysical interpretation means that we look behind the words and look for the messages, the learning, and the teaching in it.
I always ask, what does this event or sentences mean to me? How can I use it for my upliftment and growth?
I never judge or diminish anything just because I am not familiar with it.
I love looking at the different spiritual and religious celebrations and texts and use them for my daily spiritual practices. I use them to inspire me.
Each celebration gives me an opportunity to learn more about the people and the beliefs. We are all part of the Divine Presence regardless of our beliefs. Understanding others better gives me an opportunity to become a more compassionate human being.
What I love about Unity
In this short podcast, I talk about what I love about Unity and how I see it embraces all people and offers a spiritual home for anyone regardless of faith, culture, race, etc.
Comparative Religions – Christianity 4
In a way, Unity is regarded a ‘protestant movement’ because it finds its roots partly in Christianity. Unity’s forefathers, the Fillmores, created the Unity Movement combining the theology of different Christian, Jewish, Arabic and Eastern traditions.
So I started a series on introducing different faiths and traditions to show you how Unity embraces them all in a way that it can provide a home for anyone regardless of beliefs, culture, religion, race, etc.
INTRODUCTION
These are many different approaches to the Oneness with God or the Divine Presence, don’t let words mislead you! Everyone is right! All faith and spiritual movements, religions included, were created by a group who were in search for God following the example of someone inspiring.
We must always remember that everyone is in search for God in their own way. It is because what we call God is an energy source that is pure Love and Compassion amongst many other wonderful qualities.
Everyone wants to be Loved unconditionally, however, that kind of Love only exists in the realm of the Spiritual. No human being can love another person unconditionally. It is because of our own personal limitations and karma (issues to learn or let go of). Our vision is blurred by these therefor we cannot see anyone in their purity of Spirit.
What we can do is to have compassion; compassion for self and others, knowing that regardless how it may look, we are all in search for our best selves and for God’s Living Loving Spark within.
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It is important to mention, that one of the most relevant element of Gnostic Christianity to Unity is that in philosophical thought, logos (“word”) was the principle of rationality that connected the highest god to the material world. In Unity, you will find that we place emphases on the words we use. We create positive affirmations and so-called denials to elevate our consciousness.
Personally, among all Christian traditions, I feel the closest to Gnostic Christianity. I highlighted parts of the text below that felt meaningful to me.
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Antient Christianity – The Gnostics
Gnostics: those who embody the highest ethical and spiritual values, such as temperance, diligence, humility, chastity, generosity, etc. and who can at will have personal experience with divinity.
God is within
Revelation 21:3 ESV
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
The dwelling place of God is ‘within’ man. As we walk the inner journey of meditation and contemplation, we start feeling the Loving Presence of the Divine dwelling with us and guiding us throughout our lives.
Revelation 3:21 ESV
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
As we remove the barriers and limitations from our consciousness, as we conquer our own fear based ego, we start becoming aware of the presence of God, and we will feel as if we were sitting in the presence of the Divine all the time.
Comparative Religions – Christianity 3
In a way, Unity is regarded a ‘protestant movement’ because it finds its roots partly in Christianity. Unity’s forefathers, the Fillmores, created the Unity Movement combining different the theology of different Christian and Eastern traditions.
So I started a series on introducing different faiths and traditions to show you how Unity embraces them all in a way that it can provide a home for anyone regardless of beliefs, culture, religion, race, etc.
I found this fascinating and rather thorough article on the Protestant Churches. I hope you find it revealing!
Christianity was born out of the teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. More specifically, his disciples began to spread The Gospel, or ”good news,” of Jesus after Jesus was crucified and resurrected. After Christianity had spread for centuries, Christians began to disagree on certain minute theological beliefs. These disagreements spawned different denominations or branches of Christianity. Each denomination slightly differs from the next based on each one’s theological beliefs. Such disagreements include different beliefs on baptism, the means of salvation, and God’s sovereignty.
The Protestant Churches
Protestantism was born in response to what many saw as the rigid teachings and traditions of Roman Catholicism. The spark that began the Protestant flame was Martin Luther’s “95 Theses,” critiquing the legalism within the Roman Catholic Church. Martin Luther was a monk who had extensively studied the Bible and Christian tradition. In his view, Roman Catholicism was the antithesis of Christ’s teachings of salvation through grace alone because Roman Catholic church leaders were selling indulgences as absolution to sin. In addition, Luther believed that Roman Catholic leaders were abusing their power and that they had lost focus on the gospel of Christ. After Martin Luther tacked his “95 Theses” on the door of the Wittenberg Castle church, Catholicism would be permanently divided.
UNITY and Christianity
I created this document as part of my Unity Ministerial training. I read Rev Roach’s book and made notes on my observations on how the 5 Principles of Unity is compared to the theology of the main stream Christian Churches.
Notes
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31
This chapter seeks to understand Christianity and Jesus through the lens of Unity’s five principles. Rev Roach looks at how each Unity’s principle understands or differs from the traditional Christian perspective.
As part of Christian history, it was interesting to learn that only 4 of the original 45 gospels made it to the final version of the New Testament and by 325 A.C. Jesus was clamed to be fully God and fully human by the Council of Nicaea. After the Great Schism in 1045 which was mostly about the disagreement on the Holy Trinity, the Christian churches shattered into numerous divisions in 1517 when Marin Luther placed the 95 Thesis on the church door of Wittenberg. Part of this thesis was about the nature of Jesus.
Comparative Religions – Christianity 2
INTRODUCTION
These are many different approaches to the Oneness with God or the Divine Presence, don’t let words mislead you! Everyone is right! All faith and spiritual movements, religions included, were created by a group who were in search for God following the example of someone inspiring.
We must always remember that everyone is in search for God in their own way. It is because what we call God is an energy source that is pure Love and Compassion amongst many other wonderful qualities.
Everyone wants to be Loved unconditionally, however, that kind of Love only exists in the realm of the Spiritual. No human being can love another person unconditionally. It is because of our own personal limitations and karma (issues to learn or let go of). Our vision is blurred by these therefor we cannot see anyone in their purity of Spirit.
What we can do is to have compassion; compassion for self and others, knowing that regardless how it may look, we are all in search for our best selves and for God’s Living Loving Spark within.
Because the Unity Movement finds its roots in Christianity I decided to start investigating different aspects of Christianity and see how relevant they are to Unity today.
We have just celebrated Orthodox Easter. I have been investigating the differences between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.I found this amazing article. I have copied out some of the article that I found interesting. You can read the entire article HERE (CLICK)
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ORTHODOX AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES
Comparative Religions – Christianity 1
These are many different approaches to the Oneness with God or the Divine Presence, don’t let words mislead you! Everyone is right! All faith and spiritual movements, religions included, were created by a group who were in search for God following the example of someone inspiring.
We must always remember that everyone is in search for God in their own way. It is because what we call God is an energy source that is pure Love and Compassion amongst many other wonderful qualities.
Everyone wants to be Loved unconditionally, however, that kind of Love only exists in the realm of the Spiritual. No human being can love another person unconditionally. It is because of our own personal limitations and karma (issues to learn or let go of). Our vision is blurred by these therefor we cannot see anyone in their purity of Spirit.
What we can do is to have compassion; compassion for self and others, knowing that regardless how it may look, we are all in search for our best selves and for God’s Living Loving Spark within.
Because the Unity Movement finds its roots in Christianity I decided to start investigating different aspects of Christianity and see how relevant they are to Unity today.
Eastern Orthodox vs. Roman Catholic
Modernly, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches remain separated with key doctrinal differences between them. The primary theological difference is that the Catholic Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father to Jesus Christ the Son, and the Orthodox Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds only from God the Father. The second major theological difference is that the Catholic Church believes the Pope has supreme authority over the Christian faith, while the modern Orthodox Church has no doctrinal authority. Aside from these key theological differences, modern religious practices and beliefs vary between the two churches. For example, the Orthodox Church allows for divorce, while the Catholic Church does not.
The primary organizational difference between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches is the question of Papal Primacy. The Catholic Church believes that the Pope is the bishop of Rome and heads the Catholic Church. Papal Primacy is a doctrinal belief concerning the respect and authority that all Catholics and members of the Catholic Church must afford the Pope due to the belief that he has primacy jurisdiction over the governance of the church.
Ascension Day
What is it?
The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ (also called the Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, Ascension Day, Ascension Thursday, or sometimes Holy Thursday commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (shared by multiple denominations) feasts of Christian churches.
Ascension Day is generally observed on a Thursday, the fortieth day after Easter.
Ascensiontide refers to the ten-day period between the Feast of the Ascension and the Feast of Pentecost.[4] The Sunday within that period may be referred to as the Seventh Sunday of Easter or the Sunday in Ascensiontide.
The Latin terms used for the feast, ascensio and, occasionally, ascensa, signify that Christ was raised up by his own powers, and it is from these terms that the holy day gets its name. In the Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Communion, “Holy Thursday” is listed as another name for Ascension Day. William Blake’s poem “Holy Thursday” refers to Ascension Day;
Forty days from the day he rose from the grave, Jesus ascended into heaven. Here is how Luke described the event:
Therefore, when they [the disciples and the risen Christ] had come together, they asked Him saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight…” (Acts 1: 4-9 New King James Version).
“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'”
How I see Ascension Day?
For Christians it is a very important feast because their faith says that for just as Jesus went into heaven, so will all Christians. Those who are dead will rise first; those who are living will be caught up to meet him in the air, according to Paul, writing to the church at Thessalonica. This is called the rapture. With this hope in mind, Christians sometimes conclude their meetings with the words, “Come Lord Jesus.”
I look at the Bible and all spiritual texts from a metaphysical point of view. In my understanding, Heaven is on Earth if we are able to ‘ascend’. As we lift ourselves higher by letting go of the burdens of misconceptions and error-thinking, we release what holds us back from experiencing God’s Love and Care for us, which is actually being in Heaven.
Yes, we can ascend just as Jesus did but not through him. If you can accept Jesus as your guide, someone you can relate to and feel connected to, you can use his teachings to lift yourself up and move into Oneness with the Divine or God.
Jesus’ ascension is the ‘example’; we can do what he did; he was Loving, Forgiving, Accepting; he held nothing against himself or others; he worked on his shortcomings, faced his fears; and he was a humble servant, a great teacher. By living life following his example, we can ascend to a higher level of consciousness and experience Heaven on Earth, before dying.
EASTER and PENTECOST
In Unity we always look for a deeper or a metaphysical meaning of events, texts, and celebrations.
When we look at Easter we see the upliftment of our consciousness to a higher level as a result of fasting or withdrawing from the worldly to the spiritual.
On Easter Monday, we celebrate a kind of renewal and a clearer and deeper understanding of our spiritual journey through release and forgiveness. We are joyful and merry. We feel lighter because we released faulty ideas, misconceptions of who we truly are and who God is for us. (read about how I see God here CLICK)
During the days between today (Easter Monday) and Pentecost there will many spiritual observances from different traditions that we can use for our spiritual upliftment and growth. We can observe these 50 days by making the time to meditate or pray daily, focusing into the Divine Presence, reading uplifting spiritual material, and acting kindly towards ourselves and other.
Lets’ see if as a result of our efforts what happens on the day of Pentecost!
What is Pentecost and what does it have to do with Easter?
The name comes from the Greek word pentekoste which means fiftieth. Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a major festival in the Christian church, celebrated on the Sunday that falls on the 50th day of Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles – while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles – and other disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2), and it marks the beginning of the Christian church’s mission to the world.
The events of Acts Chapter 2 are set against the backdrop of the celebration of Pentecost in Jerusalem. There are several major features to the Pentecost narrative presented in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. The author begins by noting that the disciples of Jesus “were all together in one place” on the “day of Pentecost” (ἡμέρα τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς).[27] The verb used in Acts 2:1 to indicate the arrival of the day of Pentecost carries a connotation of fulfillment.
There is a “mighty rushing wind” (wind is a common symbol for the Holy Spirit) and “tongues as of fire” appear. The gathered disciples were “filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance”. Some scholars have interpreted the passage as a reference to the multitude of languages spoken by the gathered disciples, while others have taken the reference to “tongues” (γλῶσσαι) to signify ecstatic speech.
Source Wikipedia and Britannica
Relationship with God
In Unity we do not suggest an understanding of God. We strive to support everyone to seek out their personal meaning of God and to create a personal relationship with the Divine that serve their upliftment and growth.
INTRODUCTION
They say that ‘all roads lead to Rome’. The same way, there are as many approaches to God as many people there are on the Earth. In my understanding, everyone is attempting to move back to Oneness with God or the Divine Presence that I call ’being in the Loving’ whether they know it or not.
In my observation, every person tries to create a relationship with whatever they believe God is depending on what they were taught and how they see themselves.
I learnt distinctively different ideas from different people. As a result, I first became an atheist and then as a result of that, I started to look for ‘my version of God’.
God is not a separate being, or an old guy looking down on us from Heaven judging our decisions in life. As a result of my journey ‘looking for God’, I realized that God is simply a loving being, an energy source that keeps on lifting us up and out of the drama and madness we, humanity, have been creating for ourselves through our collective thinking for ions of time.
In my experience, as we meditate or commune with this loving energy source we start peeking out of the fear-driven craze and start seeing the greatness and the goodness that is ‘beyond’.
DIFFERENT INFLUENCES
The Banned God
The utopistic socialist regime that I grew up in created a rather odd predicament with regards to God. Though religious acts were discouraged and if still practised punished with ostracism, churches were kept intact and Catholic religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas were held. We were nevertheless dissuaded to attend any of these events or suffer the consequences.
We, as children, were taught that there was no such God that the churches talked about – they were liars – and we should worship our political leaders – flesh and blood perfect specimen of a human being – especially the main leader of the socialistic party that we called ‘Big Brother’.
God as a Father Figure
My grandmother needed a father figure because she never had one. What I gathered from observing her, her relationship with God was ambivalent. After having lost her second husband, she lost her relationship with God with him.
I think the Bible made her assume that God was a male character, and that he was like a good Father to all his children. Through her words, God was a loving father whom children can run to for shelter when hurt. He was protective and fair.
Because what my Grandmother communicated to me about the God she knew, when I first went to the church I went there to beg God to protect me from the abuse, I was experiencing at the time. I was looking for a father figure.
It was disappointing to learn that God does not show up in your school to tell the abusive teacher off. I understood there and then that God is not a substitute for an absent father.
God as a Prosecutor
My great-aunt, my grandmother’s cousin, was a bigot Catholic and was on a mission for a while to turn me into a Roman Catholic, except my grandma would not have it. She was a Calvinist.
My great aunt’s God was a Prosecutor. We were to fear God who was always angry because we were misbehaving. God had a ‘whip’ called the Devil who, we were told, would come and take us to Hell if we were naughty.
My great aunt in her dread of her righteous God was a goodie-two-shoes who condemned everyone who did not believe or behaved as she thought was right. She wasn’t a nice person. Nevertheless, she believed that her God approved of her behaviour because she was doing the right thing.
In her relationship with God, she lived in fear of an entity that would punish her if she wasn’t a good girl. She was convinced that she was one of God’s messengers whose job was to ensure that others also follow God’s orders and were on the right path. As a psychologist it was her mission to bring all lost souls that landed on her ‘couch’ to the God of the Roman Catholic Church. She was in some ways a prosecutor herself because she believed that those who did not see things the same way she did were all sinners. She taught me that we should be grateful for our suffering because in our suffering we are closer to God.
My great aunt’s idea of God made me scared of God and wanted nothing to do with a vengeful God.
The Buddhist no-God
There was a moment when I thought that I had enough of the confusion around God and looked for a path with no God. Though Buddhists have many deities they do not actually have a God concept. Buddhists strive to attain Nirvana, which is a level of consciousness, total freedom of desire but it is not an alternative to God.
At first, I was relieved that I did not deal with others’ idea of God, anymore. I loved the meditation sessions on ‘nothing’, the focus on striving for ‘thoughtlessness’. I found a sense of freedom in that.
Soon, however, as I progressed in my meditation, I started to face a sense of ‘lack’. I felt a sense of being and connectedness in my meditation but I could not place the sensation anywhere.
In a way, the Buddhist no-God-ness helped me to look for and find ‘my God’ and create the kind of relationship I wanted with God.
The Sufi God of Fire
After my Buddhist adventure, a friend who in my experience had a deep and personal relationship with God, introduced me to Sufism. I started to read poems by Rumi, learnt about Shams de Tabrizi, Rumi’s teacher. Then I ran into a book called ‘Love is a Fire’. The writer of this book talked about a kind of meditation that I had never heard of before: looking for fire and passion in meditation. She talked about an intimate and personal relationships with God that was new to me. So far, I had only met people who had a concept of God rather than an experience. As I was reading the book and practising the Sufi type of meditation, I started to feel a movement of ‘unexplainable’ energy that was strong and lively, with a burning sensation as it showed up within my consciousness.
I loved it! The first time God was not someone else’s concept but my own experience.
MY KIND OF GOD
I prefer calling God ‘Divine Presence’ or ‘the Source’ because the word ‘God’ is corrupted by different religious ideas that I cannot relate to.
God as Loving
This experience I mentioned above and that I still have today, is passionate and fiery. I understood later that my ‘burning like’ sensation in meditation was not the result of reading the book but because of the essence of who I am. I am fiery and passionate.
My relationship with God
And so is my relationship with God. I talk to the Divine Presence, but I still do not see God as a person. For me God is an energy field of pure Loving that is alive and is in constant movement.
As I step into this field, into Oneness, and connect with this Divine Presence, my Essence gets energized which becomes the foundation for my connection with God.
God is a vibrant presence in my Life, not only in my meditations but in my day-to-day living. I sense God all the time.
Interestingly I do experience the Divine Presence as the ‘Father’ and also as the ‘Prosecutor’ but very differently from that of my family members. God as ‘a Father’ to me means that God cares about me, I am important, if I listen, I can hear ‘him’ guiding me through the wilderness of life. God is also ‘a prosecutor’ means that I am held responsible for my experiences through my free will. My thinking, my emotions and my actions create my reality. If I want to have different experiences in life, it is not the Divine who would bring it forth, I am to think, feel, and act differently. How to bring that change about is a whole other story. God in his Goodness, however, wants me to learn my lessons and free myself from my limitations. I call it ‘tough love’.
Most of all, however, my relationship with God is like the relationship between a sport team/person and its cheering squad. God is always on my side cheering me on! Similarly to Rumi, in my inner experiences, God sometimes shows up like a goof-ball dancing and singing to make sure I don’t lose faith when time gets rough. Our relationship is constantly evolving as I am evolving, opening, and becoming into my True Being.
In Unity we do not suggest an understanding of God. We strive to support everyone to seek out their personal meaning of God and to create a personal relationship with the Divine that serve their upliftment and growth.
Good Friday
“you will be with me in Paradise”
Easter message of surrender, forgiveness and compassion.