Life in the Spirit: Heaven on Earth

This book is being presented in the hopes of illustrating that the Christian life can be more than what is supposed. For many, Christians as well as non-Christians, being a Christian is little more than a certain religious belief and with that a moral code that accompanies that belief. Comparatively speaking, then, being a Christian does not differ qualitatively nor in everyday practice from adhering to any other belief system whether religious or non-religious. Such may be summed up by “I believe so and so. Because I believe so and so, I will behave and think in a certain way.” From a full Christian perspective, however, something is missing in this less than adequate posture and practice. What is missing? Let me begin to answer by telling some of my story. Introduction From where am I coming personally? It is a question worth answering since it will say something about my perspective. Obviously, this applies to all of us. Our perception of the world as well as reception about what the world and God offer follows from there. Were we raised in a church family, as an agnostic, atheist, or some other religion than Christianity? It is also important to recognize that we can be reactionary and maybe, usually are (i.e., prone to the opposite of what we were taught). A member of the Baptist church, oking for something more whether spiritually or morally might join a more liturgical church and vice versa. It is difficult for us to be honest about our choices because it is difficult for us to be honest about ourselves. That mirror captures more than the light reflecting off our faces. I was baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church at 3 months and 12 years respectively. I don’t suppose I ever expected much from going to church, which as a family we did regularly. The moral message caught might attention above all else. In my early years that was what being a Christian meant—the Ten Commandments and all. This posture held until high school where my beliefs were challenged, not so much by direct teaching, but because of being increasingly indoctrinated into the scientific method and the call for palpable and repeatable proof. So, one night after visiting with a friend, I tossed aside the beliefs of my childhood. Having read a book of Eric Fromm’s and having an interest psychology, I conclude that to be religious was to be neurotic. I did not care to be neurotic. So, suddenly I found myself with no religion and did not, as far as I knew, feel any the worst for it. In college I was given the opportunity to work as a research assistant at the William Menninger Dream Lab, located within Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. We were doing research on clairvoyance and altered states of consciousness, the premise being that altered states might enhance episodes of clairvoyance. Statistically speaking this is exactly what happened; the point to me being that here was a phenomenon transcending space and time. In other words, this was something spiritual, and if spiritual, suggested the prospect of God. It was the scientific (no matter how poorly executed) that brought me back to believing that there was a God. It was an empirical matter for me. Something that could be known and not relegated to belief. This opened a new era for me as well as a new focus of study. My Christian friends may take objection to what I share next. Some might even see it as having been demonic. I am okay with that, but would not agree. My new focus of study was the far Eastern religions, Buddhism and Hinduism. Curiously and with no expectation I began to have eastern religious experiences. These occurred even before my reading introduced them to me. My third eye or the sixth chakra opened. It is hard to explain the sensation, but there in the middle of my forehead was a movement like a small engine purring, though without any sound. I began to get a similar sensation at the base of my spine. At times I experienced a kind of kick upward from there, flooding my closed eyes with a liquid and blissful light. There is more specific terminology for my experiences here if you care to do a little research of your own. Regardless, this season only lasted for several years and then inexplicably disappeared. Even so, my sense of the divine was further enhanced. When I looked back on this time, it starkly came to my attention that prayer was non-existent. It just did not seem to be part of the Hindu/Buddhist package, an obvious relational absence. One of the most difficult periods of my life came shortly after I had graduated from college. Today, what afflicted me would have been called panic attacks, easily treated with medication. Then, however, that was not known or at least not widely so. So, talk therapy was the approach. Despite my dedication and determination in therapy that did not bear appreciable fruit. Not long before I was hospitalized for observation and subsequent treatment plan, I found myself thinking that I needed God and I had not said so to Him. In other words, this was, you might say, the beginning of my moving toward prayer, and if you like, a relationship with the divine.