I saw this picture on FB and decided it made a good title. Today is the first day of Advent. Am I religious? No, not really. Do I believe in 'God'? Not in the way he's generally taught about. I am more of the Pagan persuasion, although I have an inbuilt dislike of formalised, institutionalised religions of any form, even Paganism.
What do I believe? I feel the 'force' - don't you dare laugh - this serious! Not the Jedi variety, just the power and relentlessness of nature, the natural 'energy' within every living thing, even inert things. Have you ever picked up a pebble on a beach and REALLY looked at it? Once it was a rough lump of rock, crumbled from a larger mass of rock, and worn smooth by the passage of time and the relentless energy of the weather and water. It has been transformed and still contains the energy used to shape it. Before it became a rock it could well have been a plant or an animal, transformed over millions of years of pressure into a solid mass.
Take a look at a living plant, any plant. Watch the stems move towards the light, see how the water is taken up by the plant, used to help it grow, then expired through the leaves. What drives a plant to suddenly produce buds then flowers? So many plants then fade away, exhausted by their efforts, dying back to rest and recuperate before springing to life again, or being reborn in the form of its seeds making new plants. The same cycles occur in animals, insects, birds, and fish. Is this all influenced by God? Or 'Mother Nature'?
I have had an abiding interest in science all my life, the patterns of mathematics, the rhythms of life. I cannot see an omni-present being causing all this. I think 'life' is rather like fractals and self perpetuating.
When we mere humans pass on to the next phase in our cycle, I think our energy or soul, passes on too, to be absorbed by the environment, either feeding the soil and worms once the bacteria, moulds and funghi have done their work, or adding warmth to the air and ashes to the soil or sea.
How many of you 'feel' a loved one near you long after they have passed away? I felt comforted after losing Peter because on occasions I could feel a warmth around me, like an invisible blanket or soft hug. It felt like he was there again with me, checking up on me. I have often felt the presence of long dead pet dogs too. Their spirit/soul/energy hangs around long after the body has gone.
So believe what you like about Christmas, Yule Tide etc. Just take the turning of the year as part of life's cycle. Take time to celebrate what has passed in the last year. Show your loved ones how much you love them by telling them and hugging them when you can. Share your love. You don't need presents to share love with each other. If you have the chance, share your good feelings with those who may have no family or friends. Not everyone has someone to care about or care for them. This time of year can be difficult for them.
This year many families will be feeling the pinch financially, and those glossy TV advertisements for the latest fashion on clothes, furniture or electronic gadgets where you can please your loved one with a useless 'thing' for 'ONLY £150', make us all feel inadequate when we shop for a token of love for a fiver, or less. For some it is a choice between having some heat or some food to survive, rather than wasting money on unwanted presents. If you are lucky enough to receive gifts at Christmas, appreciate the thought that has gone into their selection. If you don't want a present then say so well before the day, or agree a charity donation so the money is put to good use rather than wasted.
Whatever your religious beliefs or faith, may you find happiness and love in the coming weeks, and share those feelings with those around you. xxx
PS if you've made it this far then well done and please forgive my over indulgent musings.
I just hate the way organised religions cause so much conflict in the world. What's wrong with respecting and caring about other people? Let them believe in whatever god they want even if it's not your belief. Who is to decide who's right and who's not? Just live, love and help each other.
Is being a hippie a religion?
