Lenses

All we know is that the Divine, we call God, is Mystery; beyond concepts and human understanding.

We try, we try hard to find the words, find a common language that helps us to share our insights.  And that is all we do. We cannot tell someone else what the Divine is. They are on their own journey of understanding the mystery of life.

When we drive through a lush landscape and chat about what we see, it becomes apparent that everyone looks through their own 'lens'. One person may comment on the green grass, the abundance of a crop, while another may only see the blue sky with accumulating clouds; while a third person may only see the weeds in the fields.  It soon becomes clear we have our own bias.

I think that is the same when we talk about God. Our personal image of the Divine dictates how we pray. If someone sees God as the judge from childhood times, like Santa Claus, their prayer will be vastly different from someone who experiences God as love.

The lens we were taught to use and the experience of our life may not be congruent. And so we may go on the journey of discovery.

This journey can lead us through different landscapes; from lush to barren background country—a trip through different denominations, or even a discovery of other faith traditions. Foundational to our findings are the lenses we wear.  Whether it is the old lens from childhood or maybe adolescence, as we grow older, 'truths' of the past may no longer hold.

I have discovered that there are a lot of similarities within a variety of faith traditions. The practice of stillness and meditation are well known and practised in most faith tradition. Admittedly, they use a variety of terminology; within the Abrahamic tradition, the goal of being in the presence of the Divine is the same.

The Buddhist practise is focused on the individual practitioner, to let go of worldly things, detachment of the world and is motivated by enlightenment. Some could argue that Jesus taught the same. Not to store up the riches of the world, (Matt 16:19-20) but to concentrate of God.

Whatever the lens we use, we need to remember that it is just that, our lens.

 

Peace  comes from within. Do not seek it without. - Gautama Buddha