It’s That Simple!

I was talking to a friend the other day about her struggles with some very complicated spiritual teachings. These teachings are very hard to understand and usually require someone to interpret their meaning. These interpreters/teachers purport to be able to channel Spirit and seem to receive all their answers very clearly from Spirit. My friend is frustrated because she can’t seem to “get it.” She comes away feeling let down and “less than” because, as hard as she tries, she can’t seem to hear the clear messages that others seem to be hearing.

During that conversation, it suddenly struck me that if a spiritual teaching is that hard to grasp, maybe it is a human construct rather than something from Source. In my simple mind, God/dess (or whatever you name as your higher power) wants us to be connected with our Source. Why then would God/dess make it hard to connect?

All of the rules, regulations, commandments, dogma, and theology of organized religions seem to be designed to keep the masses in line and the ruling class in power. They are made to legitimize the status quo by making it appear that it was ordained by God. They are deliberately made to separate us from our own connection with Source. These religious teachings are made to be obtuse, so that people must go through a priest or intermediary to have a relationship with God. They are made to make us feel separate, unworthy, and unacceptable to our creator. They are designed to take away our individual agency in following our own spiritual path.

What if we throw out all the old religious rules and go back to the basics? What if we listen to our own inner authority, the God/dess voice within? Is it that simple?

For me, there are a few basics.

1. There is a Source greater than myself, which I have named for myself, God/dess. You may have another name that is meaningful for you.
2. This Source is not found in an external place, but rather lives inside each cell of its creation, including humans.
3. Everything is created in the image of God/dess, from the smallest atom of the smallest cell, to the whole of the earth, and as such we are all connected. We are all brothers and sisters to each other and to the creatures of the earth. We are all the beloved creations of God/dess.
4. Because our creator is pure love, our purpose then is to love –to love God/dess, to love ourselves, to love each other, and to love the earth.

If we truly lived by these basic tenets, the world would be a different place. We would see everyone as worthy of love. We would care deeply for others. We would revere our earth. We would see that we are not the rulers of our world, but rather the caretakers.

The more I think about it, the more I believe that we don’t need rules or dogma or theology to live our lives. We only need to live out our true purpose of living in love. It really is that simple.

Barbara Garland
July, 2021