Saturday, January 6, 2007

Spirituality

I've been thinking a lot about my spirituality, where I've come from, where I am, and where I see things going. And to be honest, I'm quite at a loss. It'd be easy if I could just not worry about it like so many people are able to do--but I'm not one of those people. My spirituality has always been a matter of utmost concern for me, and I believe that it will continue to be so.
I'm a spiritual seeker of the most restless sort. My past can vouch for that, from a conservative Christian upbringing, to explorations into New Age, Paganism, Agnosticism, and to a lesser extent, Eastern religions.
I'm at a point now where it would be "easiest" to claim atheism and go on about my life. But, I can't do it. I know deep down that there is a God, and I know that this God is all-loving, all-inclusive, and immanent in me, the world, and every other living being.
I feel that I've learned much from the paths I have explored. I have learned that the world is a marvel and deserves to be revered and treated with respect. I've learned that we are all part and parcel of the divine, and as such, we are all deserving of respect and dignity.
With all that I have learned, there are still so many things that I have to grapple with and just accept as a knowing. I know, that as creatures of dignity and goodness, we are not sinful creatures condemned to Hell and in need of saving. I know, however, that the concept of sin exists because we forget that we are worthy of being called divine.
I know that this is what God wants us all to realize. That we are all integral parts of Who and What God Is. This knowing has brought me to a point where I'm returning to look at Christianity, the faith of my past, and figure out what, if anything, I want to take from it.
Of course, this means I'm having to look at such things as sin, salvation, and Jesus, and try to figure out what meaning I can derive from them. I also have to figure out how to connect what I know, with what I want to keep.
For instance, how can I harmonize aspects of Christianity with my own beliefs, without sacrificing my inner integrity? I know, despite what has been said, that homosexuality is part of who I am. I know that God does not condemn this part of me. I know also that God does not condemn period. We condemn ourselves and each other. If anything, at this point, I feel that that is what Jesus was all about, showing us how to look higher, to strive to remember who we are, and what we are.

I'm sure there will be much more for me to say on this as days go by, so keep an eye out.

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