Existential musings
There’s something about being on holiday which prompts existential musing. Something to do with waking up with no agenda for the day – which I had assumed, quite wrongly, was what retirement was all about. Last week I was away in Wales and my reading prompted a return to questions that I’ve returned to many times over the years.
These included – was it really a virgin birth? A third day resurrection? I realised that I long since ceased to care whether these things were real or metaphoric. All the energy and angst which goes with taking a position and defending it seems like a waste since they are powerful metaphors either way. Arguments over literal truth feel like a distraction, a misdirection, while the real thing is happening elsewhere. But what is the real thing, the real message? To me it seems that the message of the virgin birth is that we’re all children of god, all have the divine DNA, all both human and divine. The message of Easter is that we all bear wounds and at the same time we’re all survivors, veterans of resurrection.
My difficulty with the Christian church over the years has not been a loss of faith, as some might see it, not a negation of belief. Rather it is that the Christianity taught in the churches seems to me to be too small, too narrow, too beguiled by notions of exclusivity, focussed on creeds and liturgy. As a result, the real messages are missed – and these are about universality, inclusiveness, and love. I distrust creeds, am suspicious of liturgy, find these things difficult to say – there’s so little room for caveats! I like the symbolism of holy communion but not the language around it. I know how important these things can be to others, but I can’t subscribe. What I can subscribe to is the idea of something beyond, a divine, for which our shorthand is God, to which people of all religions and none have access, a relationship, acknowledged or not. That feels true to me – and, naturally, I’m happy for others to disagree! Provided, of course, that they don’t pressure me to change my views…
Not a creed I no longer believe in the Nicene creed the virgin birth the resurrection original sin the one way to God which trumps all others finding more truth and credibility in all creation being related to the creator sharing woundedness and love seeking connection and reassurance finding different pathways through the trials and pains of life losing our way inflicting suffering finding forgiveness containing deep within however well hidden that spark of divinity


Thank you Tony. And I love your reflection Anne.
I recently drafted an article on SHARING THE MYSTERY OF PRAYER ON A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY and the final paragraph (see below) seems in tune with this substack.
'But who or what is this 'God' I pray to? Perhaps it is the gathered strength, loving intent and shared wisdom of all those souls who have passed away out of this life and into some other state. Whatever it is, my experience is that it is there, loving and wise, and it helps me cope with, and learn from, my experiences. '