It is not necessary to believe in God/spirit/higher power to have a healthy meditation practice. I earned a dual degree in Counseling Psychology and Ministry after working with people facing substance abuse and addiction on the streets of San Francisco. Those who got and stayed healthy did not do so through purely psychological or meditative means. They were the ones in twelve step programs who truly put their hearts in surrendering their complete lack of control to a higher power.
In honor of today’s feast of St. Patrick – the saint known for the shamrock image of the triune God in Catholicism (the 1 God is 3 persons in Father, Son and Holy Spirit) – it seems like a good day to consider a connection with a higher power. We shall celebrate St. Patrick’s Christology for those it speaks to and use it as a starting point for further search if it falls short for you.
When I was in graduate school a priest professor, Fr. Michael Himes, told us about conversations he would have with people who said they didn’t believe in God. He would ask “well, what is your image of God?” and usually get a response of something resembling a vengeful Zeus figure. His response would be, “Yes, I wouldn’t want to believe in that God either.”
While I know it speaks to so many people in wonderful ways, the Father-Son-Holy Spirit deity has always felt limited to me. The vengeful Zeus doesn’t speak to me either. Another professor offered the idea of the triune God as Lover-Beloved-Love itself. This conceptualization of God has always resonated with me. The love itself is completely unconditional; you can do absolutely everything wrong or absolutely everything right and still, you will be loved and worthy of love the same as everyone else. The love is enormously huge with no strings, no expectations. You can be the lover giving this kind of love to others. You can be the beloved, receiving this pure gift. You can experience the purity of this love just coursing through your body. There is both room for personification of this God in any gender and room for something far beyond what personification can allude to.
There’s a creed in the Catholic faith which includes the phrase “I believe in God.” This “I believe” is not the equivalent of saying “I believe in UFOs.” The translation more accurately means “I place my heart in” like saying “I believe in the Seattle Sounders” or “I believe in my favorite presidential candidate” or “I believe in social distancing.”
Many people struggle with a concept of God purely because belief in the unseen feels like a very tall order in this era of science and reason. Again, you may be in this position and still engage in high quality meditation. But perhaps you are able to believe in placing your heart in something. Perhaps you can place your heart in trusting that there is a force of love and goodness out there operating in the universe. Call it karma. Call it being a good neighbor. Call it scientific rationale.
Again, fantastic if Zeus or Father-Son-Holy Spirit works for you. Keep with what works.
Totally understandable and acceptable if neither an alternative image nor a shift around the word belief open you to a new experience. I offer you all love wherever you find yourself.
For meditation today:
- Find a comfortable position and breathe.
- Ground like yesterday.
- Turn your attention to your heart and consider what higher power concept might resonate there. Some ideas:
- Father-Son-Holy Spirit
- Zeus
- Lover-Beloved-Love
- Creator
- A pharmacology professor would talk about successfully sober clients who identified the Grateful Dead as their higher power – is there a band or team in which you can place your heart?
- Mother Earth
- The essence of your favorite blanket
- Your childhood imaginary friend
- The sense of being one with the universe when you are completely immersed in your favorite song or flowing in your favorite activity
- Maybe someday you will feel like surrendering control to that power or asking it to care for some aspect of your life. Maybe today. Maybe not. No rush. Keep your social distancing and you’re likely here for the long haul.
2 Replies to “Images and Beliefs”