In Christianity we are taught that there is a hierarchy. The Holy Trinity. God the Father, God the son and God the Holy Ghost. The Angelic community support the hierarchy and are here to help and guide humanity. Everyone else who is mortal is a lesser being, and we are separate from God. We worship in glorious cathedrals and churches, which, whilst simply stunning, help to reinforce our separation from God. The Priesthood form the next stage of the hierarchy, with the Pope and the Queen (followed closely by the Archbishop of Canterbury) being our highest mortal members of the Christian community.
I have been to some really extraordinary church services that have left me in awe. The whole process of the various different ceremonies is steeped in history with amazing costumery and alter coverings and wonderful traditions. It is always impressive. Add to that magnificent voices of a well voiced and well practised choir and the whole process is electrifying. Our priesthood read from the bible and impart the word of God and give sermons which aim to rouse us and cause us to reflect on our relationship with God and with others.
All of this is good stuff, but it also enhances our belief that God is ultimately responsible for everything. This is why when a great tragedy occurs, people get very angry with God and challenge him. ‘If you are so omnipotent, why did these people have to die’, or similar.
I don’t think God needs, or even expects all these wonderful ceremonies. We are all small portions of him and he is connected to us energetically at all times. I don’t believe there is any separation, and more than that, one of the greatest gifts of this planet is the aspect of free will. God does not tell us what to do. Through his great messengers like Christ, Buddha, Mohammed, Lau tsu and others, he has imparted information on how best to run our lives and to evolve, but there is no stipulation. Ultimately, we are responsible for our own lives. How we live them will not be forgotten, but more on that later.
There are many tribes around the world who have wonderfully simple ceremonies to thank God for everything. What makes them compelling is their simplicity. The Bushmen in the Kalahari believe that everything has a spirit, something most of us don’t really think about. When a bushman has stalked and killed an animal to feed his family, he apologises to the animal’s spirit for having to kill it and explains why he has had to do this, asks for its forgiveness and wishes its spirit well in the afterlife. The family group will later thank God for a successful hunt so the family could eat. This to me shows a wonderful deference to and respect for the rest of life.
How we communicate with God, the energy source, the great intelligence is a very personal matter, but we would do well to realise that he is closer to us than we think, and that whatever we do, however we treat anyone else or any creature, we are ultimately doing it to him. God is in everyone and everything. There is no separation.
