I read the following recently in a novel:
“[Dil, an Eastern Indian]’…Glastonbury is the Nutter
capital of Briton. It’s where the New Age Celts get together.’
‘I thought Wales and Scotland were the Celtic bits?’
said Jeanene, puzzled.
‘Oh, yes. [said Dil] This is something different.
According to my mate Digger, Celticness is a state of mind. I bet no one’d say
that in Glasgow. I mean, he said I
could be Celtic if I liked, and I’m not even white.’
‘What Dil means is that the New Agers are making it up as
they go along,’ supplied Hattie, ‘so don’t expect it to make too much sense.
What’s going on here is basically a lot of Anglo-Saxon English people trying to
get themselves some kind of spiritual identity, only they don’t want any of the
nasty stuff which goes with it. Half the time I think they’re trying to
reinvent folk Catholicism without the Church, and anyway, they don’t seem to
realise there’s downsides to being a Celt. Like being screwed by the English,
for starters.’”
London Bridges by
Jane Stevenson, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001, p. 268.
My wife and I heard much the
very same thing during our tour of Greece this past Spring (2011). Our guide
was a wonderful Greek woman married to an American jazz muscian and piano
repairer. She spends about half of each year with him in New Orleans. She took
an inordinate amount of time explaining the history, culture and mythology of
the Greek gods as we toured the southern part of Greece and several islands.
She made several very crucial
points. First, the culture and nature of
Greece – and Greeks! – is very entwined with the history, language, and events
embedded in the mythology of the Greek gods. This cultural identity and sense
of belongingness goes back at least 2,500 years. Second, there is currently an
extreme resurgence or rebirth by today’s Greek youth in the history/mythology
of the Greek Pantheon. She believes it is an attempt by this generation to
rediscover an overall sense of identity, since (acording to her) all Greece’s
major political, economic, cultural, and religious sysems have virtually
collapsed or are percieved as totally broken.
Now that 2012 is upon us, I can
really identify with the collapse of political, economic, cultural, and religious
systems. As a former Presbyterian minister, I can no longer truly identify with
the organized mainstream Christan faith and dogma. Churches have so engulfed
themselves in our fearful, short-sighted political and economic systems that
I’ve heard from church-goers that it is being declared from pulpits that one
cannot be a true, believing Christian and belong to the Democratic Party. Other
ministers have quoted more and more often from the Old Testament to justify
indiscriminate civilian bombing of Islamic countries. However,
generally mainstream Protestant congregations or denominations, who are
repulsed by statements like this, remain essentially silent. I believe both
positions are motivated by fear – acknowledging this is my perception, my
reality, my Now.
These (mostly) biblically
literal congregations are motivated by the fear of Islam in all its dreamt-up
horror. It’s as if they are trying to appease an angry, vindictive God – the
God of their perception. The latter, more mainstream, churches are afraid their
condemnation of such extreme positions might anger some of their more
conservative congregants. Both positions are about as far from Jesus’ Gospel of
Transformation as I can imagine – again, my perception, my reality, my Now.
Searching for a spiritual
identity – looking for that “something deep inside” that helps me define myself
and feel a sense of belongingness within this universe – has been the
overarching “fuel” that has powered my spiritual journey. It’s what’s gotten me
truly excited. It’s what’s kept me awake at night. It’s what’s driving me as I
write these weekly messages. And, when I have this indescribable inward knowing
that I’m on my right path, I enjoy a serenity and acceptance that is beyond both
words and worth.
Like many of you, perhaps, I
have been all over the spiritual map for the last 20+ years – from off-the-wall to over-the-hill. I
have travelled from the spirituality I experienced in working the 12 Steps of
Alcoholics Anonymous to an attempt to reconnect with traditional Christian
dogma to Science of Mind to Eastern philosophy to A Course in Miracles. Along
the way I have dabbled with Saint Germain and Telos, Edgar Cayce, Sai Baba, Maitreya
and the Spiritual Hierarchy, India’s Oneness Movement, and the British
spiritualist organization called White Eagle.
I have met saints, gurus, and
charletons. Still, sometimes I meet all three as they look back at me from a
mirror. Nevertheless, I stay on my journey. I stay growing. I try to stay
still, allowing my light to shine while leaving the results to Spirit.
With all the divisiveness, hate,
fear, timidity, and uncertainty enveloping churches, religion, and religiosity
it is no wonder that younger generations are on a spiritual path searching for
a sense of spiritual identity. My journey on my spiritual path – that is what
is making me me. Perhaps it’s making you you.
Some of you will face 2012 searching
for your spirituality, knowing that ogranized religion, as it currently exists,
will not take you there. You, too, will join the Journey. You will find yourselves
on your path – with all its peaks and valleys, highs and lows, cool mountain
streams and dry, parched deserts.
Welcome to the road less
traveled!
I want to close out the old year
and open 2012 with the conclusion from the Introduction to A Course in Miracles
(ACIM).
“This
course can therefore by summed up very simply in this way:
Nothing real can be threatened.
Noting unreal exists.
Herein lies
the peace of God.”
ACIM, Text,
Introduction, 2:1-4
Thanks for listening and, as always, it's okay to
forward or share this, if you choose.
Don
#1 – January 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment