Understanding the Essence of God

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Phil 2:12

The good thing about a person's faith and belief is that it is between that person and his/her God. I have never been satisfied with being told what I am to believe, and I have never been satisfied believing that the only truth is found in the Christian Bible. There is far too much to understand to fit in a collection of 66 books or even six hundred books. 

There are certain things that I know without a doubt. I am not afraid of learning new things and God is not threatened by thinking people. No one can fully understand the essence of God, but it doesn't hurt to try. The journey to knowing him is half the fun and can be a magical, interesting trip. 

For me, I understand God best by observing the nature he created. We are all created from the same matter, from the smallest blade of grass to the tallest person. All matter is as eternal as the universe. The same matter that created the universe is recycled in me. Its the one reason that I refuse to be put in a box when I pass. I want my body to become something else, something new, to help something grow. From the earth I came, and to the earth I will return....and I will continue. 

I also believe that a soul is an essence of being and is not exclusive to human beings. Its a shared energy of life. It is wrong to assume that only we possess this because it allows us to misuse and abuse that which we see as soul less. And although the circle of life is a part of life here on earth, it is something that should be respected. 

I think it is a mistake to believe that we (in our religion) are the only ones who understand God. We are the only ones who get it right. For instance, to assume that God is a male or female is to limit access to God by those who need to see him or her differently. I use the pronoun "he" when I write because the english language is so limited. I could just as easily refer to him as "her".

I wish that we could understand that all religions are man's way of understanding and explaining life and the ancient truths that we all feel and share. It seems that there is an innate need in man to believe in God. I believe that is because God exists and wants us to know him. God is more than a being. He is the essence of all that we are, all that we are made of, and all that we can be. 

Science is really attempting to do the same thing as religion is. We all just want to know the truth. My faith is not threatened by science, but encouraged by it. It is also not threatened by other faiths. We are all searching to know God. 

I actually do not believe that any religion should claim to be the only way. I think that is making God so much smaller than what he is. It is limiting what God is allowed to do and who he is allowed to speak to and through. Religions should not be judged by their doctrines, but by how they treat others and God's creation. Any belief system that encourages violence of any kind, is just wrong. One doesn't need to be religious to understand that. Morality is not exclusive to the religious. 

So my journey is indeed exciting. It is a daily process that I am trying very hard to remain open to. Now that I no longer limit my options in learning about God, a whole new world has opened to me and I am so thankful. May your journey be as colorful, diverse, and exciting.