Sunday Musings - August 14, 2021
The god of one’s understanding
My religious background is framed by a fairly conservative, Baptist Christian framework. Many others have a Christian background which is contained in other frameworks. These include many Protestant denominations, Roman Catholics, Orthodox Catholics as well as various groups whose framework is a different hue or shade.
As a child I was vaguely aware of the reality of other frameworks, but none lived in our relatively small circle. I was also aware our father seemed to identify as a non-believer and our mother professed to be a Christian.
When I joined the U. S. Navy, I was vaguely aware that there might have been some non-Christians but cannot recall anyone who overtly identified as Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu or some other religion. By the time I got to college I was acutely aware of classmates and some professors who were Jewish or Muslim and was becoming increasingly aware that the God of one’s of one’s understanding had historically been conceptualized in many different frameworks. Some of the frameworks had multiple gods, a few of whom seemed able to identity with some of the human’s emotions which often visited me.
I did not, however, hear the term “the god of one’s understanding” until I was being introduced as as graduate student intern to the 12-step recovery programs which included Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Despite the fact that at times there still seemed to be preference for the use of Christian prayers at some meetings, the basic principles of the program welcomed those of all religious frameworks or backgrounds and those of no religious frameworks or programs. The traditions of the 12-step program stress that it is a spiritual and not a religious program.
Many individuals with whom I talk are comfortable with the term spiritual and many are uncomfortable with the term. I am going to use the term spiritual to refer to how one sees one’s relationship to the whole of a group, a community, a planet, a universe or multiple universes.
In the United States, seemingly more than in other countries, we are fond of our individuality and the consequent belief that the rights and needs of the individual are what is most important; that communities or nations are composed of individuals despite many identifying as Christians who are committed to the community of Christians. There is often a tension between the various religious groups. Yet, here in the United States, individual sin and salvation are stressed even when one is a member of a mega church composed of thousands of individuals.
In the 12-step programs for those recovering from various addictions one enters as one who has necessarily been very self-obsessed and self-centered. As one works the steps of the program and embraces the goal of one addict helping another one begins to identify as a member of a large group which has members worldwide. In fact, at regional, national or international conventions of those who are members of 12-step programs one finds oneself identifying with thousands of others whose god of one’s understanding includes a diverse group of religious and non-religious frameworks from Jesus to the God of Abraham to Allah to the 12-step program to the concept of universes of which one is an essential but not sufficient part. Some think of the earth, the universes or the galaxies as the God of one’s understanding. Some believe each action or inaction affects the whole in often imperceptible but important ways. Within this larger framework is room for all concepts of God; for the belief or understanding that none of us are an island; that each of us is more the the self-centered, lonely self who began a spiritual journey when they entered the 12-step program or when they followed another path to letting go of their isolation by becoming one with all that exists.
Individual groups or frameworks for attaining the state of nothingness which encompasses all are just that - frameworks. Just as many of us may cook our rice in various pots on various sources of heat to create the same outcome, so the various paths to embracing the significant insignificance of this life journey leads to the same destination no matter what we call the God of our understanding. No word or concept of God is sufficient to encompass all that is, all that was, and all that is yet to be.
Written August 14, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
The god of one’s understanding
My religious background is framed by a fairly conservative, Baptist Christian framework. Many others have a Christian background which is contained in other frameworks. These include many Protestant denominations, Roman Catholics, Orthodox Catholics as well as various groups whose framework is a different hue or shade.
As a child I was vaguely aware of the reality of other frameworks, but none lived in our relatively small circle. I was also aware our father seemed to identify as a non-believer and our mother professed to be a Christian.
When I joined the U. S. Navy, I was vaguely aware that there might have been some non-Christians but cannot recall anyone who overtly identified as Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu or some other religion. By the time I got to college I was acutely aware of classmates and some professors who were Jewish or Muslim and was becoming increasingly aware that the God of one’s of one’s understanding had historically been conceptualized in many different frameworks. Some of the frameworks had multiple gods, a few of whom seemed able to identity with some of the human’s emotions which often visited me.
I did not, however, hear the term “the god of one’s understanding” until I was being introduced as as graduate student intern to the 12-step recovery programs which included Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Despite the fact that at times there still seemed to be preference for the use of Christian prayers at some meetings, the basic principles of the program welcomed those of all religious frameworks or backgrounds and those of no religious frameworks or programs. The traditions of the 12-step program stress that it is a spiritual and not a religious program.
Many individuals with whom I talk are comfortable with the term spiritual and many are uncomfortable with the term. I am going to use the term spiritual to refer to how one sees one’s relationship to the whole of a group, a community, a planet, a universe or multiple universes.
In the United States, seemingly more than in other countries, we are fond of our individuality and the consequent belief that the rights and needs of the individual are what is most important; that communities or nations are composed of individuals despite many identifying as Christians who are committed to the community of Christians. There is often a tension between the various religious groups. Yet, here in the United States, individual sin and salvation are stressed even when one is a member of a mega church composed of thousands of individuals.
In the 12-step programs for those recovering from various addictions one enters as one who has necessarily been very self-obsessed and self-centered. As one works the steps of the program and embraces the goal of one addict helping another one begins to identify as a member of a large group which has members worldwide. In fact, at regional, national or international conventions of those who are members of 12-step programs one finds oneself identifying with thousands of others whose god of one’s understanding includes a diverse group of religious and non-religious frameworks from Jesus to the God of Abraham to Allah to the 12-step program to the concept of universes of which one is an essential but not sufficient part. Some think of the earth, the universes or the galaxies as the God of one’s understanding. Some believe each action or inaction affects the whole in often imperceptible but important ways. Within this larger framework is room for all concepts of God; for the belief or understanding that none of us are an island; that each of us is more the the self-centered, lonely self who began a spiritual journey when they entered the 12-step program or when they followed another path to letting go of their isolation by becoming one with all that exists.
Individual groups or frameworks for attaining the state of nothingness which encompasses all are just that - frameworks. Just as many of us may cook our rice in various pots on various sources of heat to create the same outcome, so the various paths to embracing the significant insignificance of this life journey leads to the same destination no matter what we call the God of our understanding. No word or concept of God is sufficient to encompass all that is, all that was, and all that is yet to be.
Written August 14, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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