The Divine is a God to All.

“One's own religion is after all a matter between oneself and one's Maker and no one else's.” Kahlil Gibran. A fruitful discussion this weekend reminded me of the power that religion has over people and our perceptions of the meaning and purpose of life and living. My own view is that religion is a human idea. As a human idea it reflects the myriad of cultural influences and differences around the world. Each major regional culture effectively has its own idea about the Divine and its own religion as a means to explain, experience and express that who and what idea of God, and the what and why meaning and purpose of life. All ideas serve a source ideal, and it is so with religion. We find the truth of the idea when we explore the ideal it effectively serves. The Apostle Paul taught that God is love. Love is an Ideal that is served by the ideas and acts of loving. When the idea of religion aligns itself with the Ideals of the Divine then it has become a source of good in the world. “You are my brother and I love you. I love you worshipping in your church, kneeling in your temple, and praying in your mosque. You and I and all are children of one religion, for the varied paths of religion are but the fingers of the loving hand of the Supreme Being, extended to all, offering completeness of spirit to all, anxious to receive all.” Kahlil Gibran