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It
has long been said that there is great power in the gathering of the
many. The quote, "when 2 or more are gathered together..."
comes to mind. My own experience with such gatherings has been quite
limited for some time, as I've come to terms with my own spiritual
beliefs and let go of those that I was "reared" with. From
the time I was 12 years old, enrolled in Catholic school and forced
to attend Mass, I knew that there was something that just didn't feel
right to me. It wasn't so much about the rituals as it was about the
contradictions I saw in the teachings of the Roman Catholic church.
And I was TWELVE!
Happily, when I finally announced to my
mother, who was a devout Catholic, that I would no longer be
attending services with her, she had the good instincts to ask why
and what it was that I did believe. We had a very "grown
up" discussion about it, whereby I told her that if I were to
pray to MY God, it would be on the jetty at the beach or up in the
mountains under a tree. This was where I felt my connection to God
and this was where I could honor that connection. She wasn't all that
crazy about my responses, but she didn't try to force me to believe
in her own tenets. From that day forward, when we left for church,
she dropped me off at the beach and then picked me up when she was
done with her services. To this day, I don't think she told a soul
about our "arrangement". It was our little secret and she
honored that. I am still grateful for that freedom she allowed
me.
As years passed, I went on to study other religious
tenets. I attended services at various churches, including Buddhist
and non-denominational houses of worship. None ever felt quite right.
There was always something that just felt forced. Like the
so-called 'laws' were not written by God, but rather by humans who
made the stuff up according to their own interpretations of said
teachings. I wondered, for many years, whether I was merely being
obstinate and had chosen to put up a wall between me and God. What
was it that made me so uncomfortable? Why did I always seem to find
some hypocrisy in the teachings?
All
along the way, though, I had a strong feeling that this was not about
God at all. It was about religion. I had this innate sense
that one had nothing to do with the other. For me, God was about
connection. Religion was about rules. Even as I studied and searched
for my answers, I always felt as if God was with me. Or rather, IN
me. Not something separate or some sort of entity to be feared.
Instead, God was the Life Force that created this Being called
Camille. The more I questioned the Elders of said religious factions,
the more resistance I was met with. Could it be that I had, in fact,
touched on something that none of them wished me to know? I decided,
after a very long time, to just believe what I believed and forego
the whole 'church' thing. What difference did it make if I attended a
service or not? The only thing that mattered was that I had my
connection with God. I kept my beliefs to myself and carried on with
my spiritual journey, trusting all the while that God was with
me, in me, of me.
Then,
one day, not long ago, I found myself amidst a gathering of people
who'd come together for a purpose. They were from all sorts of
religious backgrounds and walks of life. None came to convince anyone
else that their way was the "right" way. We were there for the
purpose of joining our collective energies to assist someone who was
in dire need of help. While I was there, I noticed that I had none of
the usual feelings of angst or resistance. In fact, I felt this
amazing grace wash over me, a feeling of complete connection. That
gathering changed my Life. It made me realize that all along the way,
I was following a path that was my own. There was no right or wrong.
There was no judgment. Only my connection to God and all the souls
gathered around me. We were, indeed, ONE.
Since
that day I've come to accept that when the many are gathered, great
things can happen. We have the power of our collective energy, along
with the energy we call 'God', that enables us to move mountains, to
heal others, to make the world a better place. It is a joyous and
moving experience to be a part of such gatherings. And now, now that
I've stopped resisting, those experiences are more available for me
to partake.
Ain't
Life GRAND?!
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