One Higher Power

In my quest for understanding the core principles of spirituality, it becomes more evident that “religion” in any flavor tends to cloud those core principles. Especially in these modern times, doctrine, tradition, social order, and even entertainment seem to take on more prevalence and importance in the practice of religion than does seeking and emulating the source that bonds all life.

Assuming such a connection with this “unseen” source is the ultimate goal in seeking spiritual fulfillment, and religion is positioned as the conduit for achieving the goal, seeing barriers erected between people by religion and businesses erected as ministries of religion makes a good case for atheism and a better case for agnosticism — regarding all religion.

However, the very fact that humans still have an inherent desire and will to believe in the existence of things beyond reason and perception makes it hard to argue that such things are nonexistent. The absence of evidence from either point sets the stage for an endless argument in this arena, which is something Jesus and a handful of other teachers throughout history have explained.

Part of the philosophy Jesus shared was in being dismissive of conflict, speculation, and social structure — that this higher power just is, and to live within and among it requires such a simple acknowledgement and understanding. Of course, Jesus wasn’t the only spiritual savant to teach these principles as sacrasanct, just the most well-known.

But it appears for all the “Christianity” going around, the things Jesus lived and died trying to teach the human race are no closer to actuality than they were two thousand years ago. But, how can this be? Christianity is supposedly the church built on the principles he taught — rejecting systemic religion and social order as superior, and embracing life immersed in love as supreme!

What’s happened, through the course of human thought compounded by both selfless and selfish intent, is that these core principles have become like the core of a fruit. The meat of the fruit grows around the seeds’ essence of life in the center, and people consume the fruit discarding the core. Like religion, people tend to consume the frills and fluff that engage and entertain but ignore the opportunity to preserve the core, plant it, tend to it, and reap the reward of simplicity.