Reflections on Belief Systems

Have you ever thought about religion and had some questions?

Is there really one true Church? Are they all just vehicles to God? Or are they hindrances?

Is there truly only one way to see God?

Are New Age beliefs truly from the Devil? Can we use some to enhance Christianity?

I have been questioning my beliefs a lot as of late. The COVID-19 pandemic has allowed that space to question. I have been experiencing somewhat of a "spiritual awakening" as of late.

What even is a spiritual awakening?

A spiritual awakening is where you truly realize within yourself (not just based on what you are told by society or church) that there is more to life than this temporal state. That we have a spirit as well as a body. I always knew these things in a way, but I never really processed or weighed the matter. I never deeply pondered on it. I never questioned. Questioning is one of the most important things you can do in life. Without questions, there is no growth. If you never challenge your current state, there is no room to become better or worse.

I was taught there are limited avenues to God: prayer and church (at least how it manifested in culture). What happens when the soul starts to yearn for more than just that? There is a point where those grow routine, where you become invested in doing it soley for the sake of appearances or acceptance in a community, and it doesn't nurture you.

There are conflicting messages in the sects of Christianity. In most mainstream Christian churches, the Bible teachings of 2 Corinthians 12: 19 and Ephesians 2: 8-9 are core...

2 Corinthians 12: 19: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Ephesians 2: 8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works..."

But there is another teaching in the Bible...

James 2:14-18: "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

I think for so long, mainstream Christian churches have taken the teaching of James 2 and emphasized it so much to compound this feeling in Christians of "I am unworthy; only through Christ do I become worthy in front of God." It has put in Christians this feeling of worthlessness and guilt, leading so many people to feel unfulfilled and looking for it within themselves. And then you have conflicting lessons in the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), where it is taught that "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God," but also focuses on exaltation, and continues also these feelings of worthlessness save Christ in its members. The same can be applied to the Catholic Church, which is constantly focused on penance for wrongdoings. And I think all these churches have it wrong in some sense.

We are focused so much on our wrongdoings that we are missing the enriching parts of the gospel — the peace that comes with knowing that there IS something much bigger beyond you that cares enough about you as a little speck on the planet to have died for your sins. It is that Christlike — that Godlike — love and gratitude that abides within all of us. When we lose sight of that, we lose appreciation of the gift of grace and the peace and love of God.

But I have also personally struggled as of late with the concept of a Savior: if God is all-powerful to save, why did He need a Savior in the first place to save us? And also the concept of the human experience: why is the flesh so bad?

One of the most beautiful things about life IS our flesh — that God created these bodies for our souls to dwell. There should be an appreciaion of the flesh: the fact that every day, thousands of times a day, our hearts beat to keep us alive. Our livers process our toxic wastes to keep our bodies healthy. Our immune systems fight bacteria and viruses that enter our bodies without us even knowing we have them. Our lungs go through the respiration process in seconds. Our brains send neuron fires with uncomprehensible speeds to move our limbs and facial muscles. There is so much to appreciate and thank God for! And I think in life, we become so focused on the negative and the carnal and material parts of the world, that we forget of the spiritually uplifting parts of the world as well.

There are some New Age beliefs that I think do help us connect closer to God. The idea that God is within all of us, for one example. In Genesis 2:7, we read: "'And the Lord God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Truly, trying to get into touch with your own spirituality is about uniting the spiritual experience to the body, connecting body/flesh to be more in tune with the soul, which then allows us to be in tune with God, that higher being outside of us who enriches our lives. I think that is one of the best New Age teachings.

Another New Age concept I have gathered is about self-awareness and self-improvement. It can seem like big mumbo jumbo, but it is not. As a student of psychology, the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs comes to mind. Church has been a way to foster that human need of love and belonging, but it can also stunt (or sponsor) us on the need of esteem. But notice that self-esteem is also part of that overall need of esteem. This is why the "putting your trust on Jesus" rhetoric can be fallible. It' IS important to be connected to something higher than yourself — that is where you self-actualization: looking outside of yourself and helping others who are not as fulfilled as you are. But the keep to fulfillment is being FILLED. You cannot be filled if you cannot love the you within. You have to learn to love all parts of you, because if you cannot love yourself and embrace yourself or try to change yourself, you will always have this dissonance iny our heart that will disconnect you with God because you will not be able to align your heart with His. God IS love, and if you cannot embrace love within yourself, you cannot embrace God within yourself.

Another beautiful New Age concept is mindfulness and meditation. It can be hard to listen to God with the hustle and bustle of the world. All these things to do, all these places to go, all these people to see... it can be exhausting! and that is where mindfulness comes in. Taking the time to just. Pause. Look at the world around you and just appreciate the gift of life that God has given you. Embrace Him into your heart. Close your eyes. Feel the ground beneath your feet. Feel the crisp air touch your skin. Feel the texture of your clothes as it clings to your body. These are signs that your body is working, and that in itself is a gift from God. Taking the time each day to just ponder and appreciate your God-given faculties enrich your life. The world is slowed and the mind is cleared, allowing you to be a vessel for the Lord to feel. In my opinion, true prayer is a form of meditation, allowing God to permeate and flow within you.

This is where I come into gratitude. Gratitude is both a New Age concept and a Christian concept. When you take the time to appreciate your circumstances in life in life, it really uplifts your wellbeing and soul. It allows you to have a better relationship with God because you are not letting negative energy permeate that positive space, and it raises your spirit to a higher frequency — closer to Enlightenment/exaltation, whatever you want to call it.

I also believe in the New Age concept that God can be found everywhere. I think I wrote about how, in the beginning of the pandemic, how when I walked, I could hear the birds louder than ever before — their sweet songs pouring the Spirit of God into my soul. I realized there is so much we are missing and not appreciating. I don't ever want to make that mistake again. The Bible says that the world was perfect, even before man! So being in nature, you get to experience the unadulterated perfection that is God. He dwells in nature so strongly. In animals, in forestation, etc. In the air we breathe! Wherever we look for God, we can find Him.

I hope I was able to open your mind a little to exploring your spirituality today. I think there are beautiful tenets in both Christianity and New Age alike. I even find beautiful principles in Judaism, Islamism, and Buddhism alike! Surely there are other nice concepts in belief systems beyond what I have mentioned, but what I have mentioned is the breadth of what I have explored so far. I think whatever avenue we take to reach God is personal to us, and God is all-powerful to recognize our efforts to connect to Him, and He will in turn respond. God is Love, Gratitude, Charity, Kindness, and Refuge all together.

Amen. Have a blessed day.