According to the philosopher and theologian A.W. Tozer the most important thing about a human being is what he/she pictures when they think about God. For those of us who are religious God can be found in church/temple, scriptures and the work that people do in His name. Those of us who do not prescribe to a particular religion may find God in nature, human interaction, community, or music. Some of us have never even consciously considered the question of God.
Even in the Twenty-First century, have yet to live in a world where freedom is universal. We cannot take our freedom for granted — rather it should be something we embrace wholeheartedly, in joyous celebration of our independence!
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
— Thomas Jefferson
Since nature is fundamentally thought to contain all the perfections God has bestowed us with, it is only natural that one may choose to seek his presence around his mute yet living servants. Being the idea of perfection and harmony, God has most likely created nature to resemble and depict what he represents to humanity. Any forest, ocean, mountain and even a backyard garden can improve one’s connection to the divine.
Saint Jerome once said: “how great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it”. This may as well be true, but there is more to it than just mere protection. A guardian angel can be manifested in a plethora of ways, and in different forms. Saint Jerome used a religious metaphor to simply state – even the best of us need a little help sometimes.
Although no one can quite testify to its existence, seeing as it’s something we experience only after we die, there’s still much speculation worth addressing. Various revelations tell us of these places, and many cultures have had their own versions of afterlife. Depending on which belief we take into consideration, the experiences may vary. For example, ancient Egyptians believed that the scale of Anubis will judge every mortal before they pass on. There will be a feather that only bad and corrupt souls will outweigh, and those that, will perish into nothingness.
There’s nothing wrong in glorifying the members of your family tree. As a matter of fact, knowing one’s roots and feeling great gives a boost of confidence. After all, you are now in this world thanks to those that came before you, so simply taking the time to spiritually thank those individuals is deemed selfless gratitude in itself. Love for one’s own flesh and blood is one of the most self-assuring virtues known to man.
How does one come to feel similar to the all-powerful being that created the world? There are many kind virtues that are required for this spiritual journey, but either of them can bring one that closer to god. By simply relating to Jesus himself, for example, one may feel like a bigger part of God, or like God is a bigger part of them. By being gracious and forgiving, one can feel the kindness within, that which god bestowed us all with. Simply put, by being what your God demands you to be, you are directly relating to him.
First of all, what does it mean to actually wake up? If only God knows what things are really like, doesn’t that mean you’re still living your own delusional dream, even with your eyes wide open? It may, but if you’re closer to seeing reality for what it is than those surrounding you, you kind of have the right to consider yourself awakened. Of course, this is a constantly ongoing process with no end, but there’s always a beginning. If you feel like you’re still fast asleep in this world of foolish mankind, try to seek the answers you need in order to start awakening.
All of us encounter an unpleasant mental clutter at some point in our lives and struggle with finding an ideal solution to end it. Many think of this problem as rocket science, but the steps to overcoming it are simple and immediate implementation of them can yield incredible results.
