Finding Your Spiritual Identity

My wife and I heard much the very same thing during our tour of Greece [2011]. Our guide was a wonderful Greek woman married to an American jazz musician and piano repairer. She spends about half of each year with him in New Orleans. She took an inordinate amount of time explaining the history, culture and mythology of the Greek gods as we toured the southern part of Greece and several islands.

She made several very crucial points. First, the culture and nature of Greece – and Greeks! – is very entwined with the history, language, and events embedded in the mythology of the Greek gods. This cultural identity and sense of belongingness goes back at least 2,500 years. Second, there is currently an extreme resurgence or rebirth by today’s Greek youth in the history/mythology of the Greek Pantheon. She believes it is an attempt by this current generation to rediscover an overall sense of identity, since (according to her) all Greece’s major political, economic, cultural, and religious systems have virtually collapsed or are perceived as totally broken. I’ve heard similar ideas recently from my grandsons.

Both in 2012 and now, I can really identify with the perceived collapse of political, economic, cultural, and religious systems. As a former Presbyterian minister, I can no longer truly identify with the organized mainstream Christian faith and dogma. Churches have so engulfed themselves in our fearful, short-sighted political and economic systems that I’ve heard from church-goers that it is being declared from pulpits that one cannot be a true, believing Christian and belong to the Democratic Party. Other ministers have quoted more and more often from the Old Testament to justify indiscriminate (wipe’m out!) civilian bombing of Islamic countries. Or, bombing and killing entire successful black neighborhoods as happened in Wilmington, NC or Tulsa, OK. However, generally mainstream Protestant congregations or denominations, who are repulsed by statements like these, remain essentially silent. I believe both positions are motivated by fear – understanding this reflects my perception, my reality, my Now.

These (mostly) biblically literal congregations are motivated by the fear of Islam in all its dreamt-up horror. It’s as if they are trying to appease an angry, vindictive God – the God or their perception. The latter, more mainstream, churches are afraid their condemnation of such extreme positions might anger some of their more conservative congregants. These positions are about as far from Jesus’ Gospel of Transformation as I can imagine – again, my perception, my reality, my Now.

Searching for a spiritual identity – looking for that “something deep inside” that helps me define myself and feel a sense of belongingness within this universe – has been the overarching “fuel” that has powered my spiritual journey. It’s what’s gotten me truly excited. It’s what’s kept me awake at night. It’s what’s driving me as I write this message. And, when I have this indescribable inward knowing that I’m on the right path, I enjoy a serenity and acceptance – a peacefulness – that is beyond both words and worth.

Like many of you, perhaps, I have been all over the spiritual map – from off-the-wall to over-the-hill. Along the way I have dabbled with Saint Germain and Telos, Edgar Cayce, Sai Baba, Maitreya and the Spiritual Hierarchy, and India’s Oneness Movement. I have travelled from the spirituality I experienced in working the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous to an attempt to reconnect with traditional Christian dogma to Science of Mind to Eastern philosophy to A Course in Miracles (ACIM).

I have met saints, gurus, and charlatans. Still, sometimes I meet all three as they look back at me from a mirror. Nevertheless, I stay on my journey. I stay growing. I try to stay still, allowing my light to shine while leaving the results to Spirit. I had been taught,“Do the work,” as AA old-timers told me, “but leave the results up to your higher Power.” I am learning in ACIM to ask Spirit to help me see a person or an event with His vision: folks are either calling for love or expressing love. That’s it. After asking, I need to still my mind by focusing on the voice of quiet whispers while ignoring all the loud and constant commentary of my egoic “steering”committee. Spirit will guide me how to respond, to act, or to do nothing at all. Now, I can maintain a sense of peace and gentleness inside me in spite of what is happening around me. In that state I am now a tool Spirit can use.

With all the divisiveness, hate, fear, timidity, and uncertainty enveloping churches, religion, and religiosity it is no wonder that younger generations are on a spiritual path searching for a sense of spiritual identity. My journey on my spiritual path is what is making me me. Perhaps it’s making you you.

Some of you will face our current existential issues searching for your spirituality, knowing the organized religion, as it currently exists, will not take you there. You, too, will join the Journey. You will find yourselves on your path – with all its peaks and valleys, highs and lows, cool mountain streams and dry, parched deserts.

Welcome to the “read” less traveled!

I want to close out the old year and open 2025 with the conclusion from the Introduction to A Course in Miracles (ACIM).

Thanks for listening and, as always, it's okay to forward or share this, if you choose. remembering to copy this message in its entirety.

Don
February 2025
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