Interlude Guestbook message
Someone recently commented that the meditations at Interlude did not focus sufficiently on God. One of our first reactions was, "What do you mean? God is mentioned between every line!" But it is true, we don’t use the word "God" very often. Let’s examine why.Interlude: An Internet Retreat is intended to serve anyone wishing to elevate their consciousness, go within, or find peace of mind. We hope to serve people who believe in God and those who do not, or are not sure if they do. We hope that people will find their relationship with the divine without our identifying what that is.
We seek to communicate with people of many spiritual paths, and those who have not yet found theirs. Some of these paths may be religions that focus on God, and some are non-theistic. When one uses the word "God," a barrier goes up for many people. We aren’t interested in debating whether God exists or does not. We are interested in people finding meaning in their lives and connecting with that part of themselves that is greater than they could imagine.
Instead of debating whether there is a God, we suggest that people live as if there is a God and that divinity suffuses all that is. Since "God is love," why not just talk about love. Everybody can believe in love. When one lives in loving kindness the divine becomes apparent regardless of ones theological bent.
The word "God" is insufficient to express its own meaning. As the Tao Te Ching says, "The name that can be named is not the eternal name." When we give the ground of all being a name, we make it seem smaller. When we personify God, we start to think of the supreme being as a Him or a Her. Pretty soon He or She has a face, and then we can make it into an image, and then we’ve lost it.
If someone tells you about God, it may or may not make an impression. You may or may not believe. But if you develop habits of self awareness and quietness of mind you will begin to perceive your connection with that which is greater than your ego. In your peace you may hear the messages of the Great and Holy Spirit.
Some will say that we must develop a personal relationship with a particular manifestation of God. We would say, develop a personal relationship with the people in your life and see them each as manifestations of the divine. Come to know Christ, and come to know your Buddha Nature. Seek to live in harmony with the Tao. Worship the divine in the thousand armed goddess of compassion. See God in a flower. Hear the spirit of God in the wind. Experience the infinite in the space between breaths.
© 1998 Tom Barrett