Where to Now?

The fundamental challenge we face as human beings is learning to compatibly resolve differences; and even more, learning a methodology for turning differences into strengths.

More specifically, we fear differences that appear to threaten our present way of thinking and believing and the corresponding change (or more precisely the transformation) implied by the challenge.

The most controversial example at present is the book and movie “The Da Vinci Code.” One of the major controversial points is the supposition that Jesus married Mary Magdeleine and fathered a child that carries his consciousness through women from generation to generation; to the present.

This supposition is, of course, in opposition to historical Christian doctrine. It appears to me that it is immaterial whether Jesus was, indeed, married or not. His impact on the last 2000 years of history is immense and can not be diminished, invalidated, or erased – both good and bad in terms of how his doctrines were implemented by various churches.

What is more important is the popularity of the book and movie. It is immense. This popularity tells more about the thirst of people, planet-wide, for a new paradigm of religious/spiritual experience. I would suggest that religion and spirituality are distinctly different; religion is form and spirituality is the “driving essence” that gives rise to form. As such, there are, in theory, an infinite number of religious forms – none superior to others from this perspective.

The message derived from the book's popularity is that many of us are seeking a spiritual experience. Spiritual experiences are transforming, for they go beyond the ego self. The change is from a survival-based mind set to one that is creative-adaptive. A creative-adaptive mind-set welcomes and anticipates the change necessary for human adaptation and compatibility. We sometimes forget that nothing lasts forever and progressive change is the key to survival and adaptation of any organism.

So, perhaps redefining our religious beliefs and practices could be more effective in facilitating spiritual transformation; thus, resulting in a more humanly compatible planet of people.