Even as a child old enough to observe the world and critically question my existence, it did not make sense to me that I would simply blink in and blink out again for more or less 70 years or 80 years (according to the average life I saw around me). But when I stretched my mind to try and remember what came before, I could not.

I was also observing the discrepancies I saw, the unfairness as it were, of the circumstances of people, how some had been “given” a life with a lot to work with, and others did not. That did not make sense to me within the context of Christian religion I was simultaneously exploring. Why would an external God, one in essence Love, be so cruel as to give some so much, while others lived their whole lives in abject poverty and despair? And why would a God of love manipulate us through shame, a form of control?

Then I began to explore Eastern philosophy, and the concept of a soul living many lives in order to learn all the lessons we need to learn to ascend made sense. (And that our souls at a higher level choose these lessons, rather than they are thrust upon us.) As only one example, in some lives we may be poor, in others rich, or probably most often, somewhere in between. (Too “rich” is its own prison, with its own lessons.) I speak of rich here in terms of money, because that’s unfortunately the primary measuring stick of wealth in the society we currently inhabit. That, I believe, is about to change.

I did not discard or abandon the basic teachings or principles of Christianity. Those, in fact, are the foundation of many religions. For example, the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” That’s a very solid, basic foundation for the growth of a soul and on which to build a society.

So, look around you. Are we living it? Personally I think we need to get back to some very basic principles of life and how to live, instead of squabbling over the differences in religious dogma. It is dividing us. I don’t believe that would be the ultimate goal of any Creator, no matter what label we apply to that energy. The Native peoples have their own sense of that creative energy, expressed through the land and nature.

It seems that many are intent on converting everyone else to “their way”, prescribed through the dogma and rules of their particular religion. But perhaps if we all accepted that there are many paths to the same understanding of basic principles of love, cooperation, compassion, forgiveness, respect, we would move forward instead of constantly slipping backwards in terms of society. (Look at the state we’re in!) Why would or should such principles rooted in love ever become a competition?

When we let it become that, we are denying the beauty and grace and peace that is the essence of One. We are also denying ourselves the opportunity to make life here on Earth a better experience for everyone. If we let the competition fall away, united we could start to create a sort of heaven of physical experience and learning.

We have choice; we have free will. What will we build, together? Adopting reverence and respect for all life and each other would be a good start…

“If someone thinks that peace and love are just a cliche that must have been left behind in the 60s, that’s a problem. Peace and love are eternal.” ~ John Lennon

Susan L Hart 2023 | HartInspirations.com | (SusanLHart.com)