The “G” Word

Gloria in Excelcis Deo!

The “G” word is one of the more controversial ones in our language. It has been the source of endless struggles, confusion, rhetoric, disputes, doubt, and fear. It is often the recipient of mental projections such as guilt, anthropomorphic images, suffering, and dread. This three-letter word is a symbol that can activate an undesirable memory bank, and is therefore often and understandably avoided.

As with all language, the linguistics are merely a representation and not that which it describes. The map is not the territory. In the case of the “G” word (God), many do not know what to make of the map. Because of the lack of clarity or understanding about the map, many reject the supposed reality or purported benevolence of the territory for which the word is meant to represent. This is resolved by first letting go of the misconceptions surrounding the word.

Here are a few misconceptions about the word “God:” God does not mean a dude with a beard in the sky judging you and throwing lightening bolts if he doesn’t like your actions; God is not a parent-like figure who punishes you if you are wrong or make mistakes; God is not a mythological creature constructed by the human mind as an explanation for droughts or natural disasters; God did not create the earth in seven days only to take a metaphorical coffee break until “judgment day” arrives, at which point he sends us to a variety of creative options, including heaven, hell, purgatory, or even something called “limbo.” God is not any of this stuff (fortunately).

Here are a few possible synonyms for the “G” word: Life, Love, Consciousness, Truth, Self, Reality. These are also linguistic representations of the underlying Reality for which they describe. The Truth Itself is subjective and not accessible through cognitive understanding. The map points the way but is not the destination.