'God' is a Warm, Cuddly Platitude

Finite players seek outcomes in spiritual games. Finite players make spirituality finite, simply because a finite player plays for effect.

The greater the effect the greater the reward. Finite players do not care for uncertainty. Therefore, in order to attain an effect, they employ concepts that have become known to evoke an effect from listeners. Listeners experience an effect simply because they have learned that this is expected.

If one employs the concept of “beingness” then an effective response should be exhibited by the audience. If one employs the concept of “God” this too, is managed for a desired effect from the listener which, in turn, results in a reward to the speaker.

Thus, we have the platitudes of “divine,” “universal,” “energy,” “being,” “healing,” “journey,” "oneness," etc, etc, etc,  pronounced with profound repetition in spiritual circles in order to evoke emotional responses from the listeners (audience). These concepts are steeped in antiquity and thus, have historical precedence as a foundation and are entirely based on the past. Unfortunately, over time they have been stripped of any genuine meaning, becoming nothing more than platitudes. Listeners may feel incumbent to respond accordingly, but this is usually scripted and easily predicted as the expected response when such platitudes are spoken.

Platitudes are surface concepts. They have little substantive depth and have proven to be entirely inconsequential to evolving consciousness, simply because they engage only the surface mind. Nevertheless, those devoted to platitudes are resistant to give them up, since they still bring the speaker a reward for the speaking and the ego is very reward driven.

Post-Modern spirituality requires a new lexicon of evocative dialogue. A dialogue that does not rigidly conform to the antiquity of axial age proclamations and that leads both listener and speaker to infinitely play the game of spirituality.

Spirituality is IN relationship and is not a solitary egocentric engagement. We “journey” together and not alone (as much as we may like to think that we "journey" alone).

The dialogue of relationship speaks to depth in allowing depth to be discovered between minds. It breaks from surface platitudes and engages in an existential “lived-experience” that is full of Deep Spirit substance. It is dramatic, spontaneous, unscripted and real. It often surrenders masks and roles to become something quite surprising and unprepared for, but it can be a frightening experience for an ego-self, secluded and confined in its 'selfhood.'

We can easily identify the surface shadows that impede growth. But the shadows that lie in the depths of consciousness are not plumbed through the repetitive mouthing of spiritual platitudes. The shadows that roam your depths are only realized in the depth of fully engaged relationship. This dialogue is not a dialogue of Gaia, since to engage in a relationship with nature we must first learn to relate to one another. Nature is counting on this saving grace, because it is only when we can learn to fully engage with each other that we can learn to fully engage with nature. Until then nature (earth) is as doomed as we are, since we will most likely take it with us in our surface, self-destruction.

The post-modern spirituality is a spirituality of relationship, endorsing a full engagement with others and the world. It is often NOT warm and cuddly, because in the depths the shadows are much more rigid and reified and have yet to be realized. However, when we engage fully, the unknown rises up for full inspection.

To fear those depths is to control relationships in avoidance of a deeper truth. It is a fear of intimacy and a fear of exposure. Because of this fear the dialogue is often enmeshed in warm and cuddly platitudes. Yet, this is often the fate of most intimate relationships, in which a fear of exposure impedes going deeper and ultimately leads to perpetual alienation and estrangement.

Look beyond the spiritual platitudes and you will often find a frightened ego running from a history of failed relationships and fearing for its 'life.' It's not others that you fear, but what they can show you about your 'self.'

The appearance of depth through scripted dialogue is very deceiving. But scripted roles attest to the need for specific outcomes. The actors following a script are fully prepared for the anticipated outcome and thus, are rarely surprised. The ego easily adapts to expectations that help it remain on the surface, forever avoiding what could be discovered in the depth.

If you wish to plumb the depths of yourself, then let go of your need to control direction. The need to control is nothing more than an egocentric fear of what can be learned about the self by fully engaging with others. We may not like what we find, but it's there' to be found....

like it or not....


Artwork by David Stoupakis - "untitled"