The quest to experience God

Alternate title for A spiritual revolution: The quest to experience God.

As a child, I learned that God is all love. But at the same time, He (never She) could be distant, unknowable, and judgmental. He was loving, but could punish us harshly. He sent sunshine and babies, but also storms, wars, and disease.

Longing for meaningful connection with the divine, this two-sided God was no comfort to me as I grew older. I wanted to feel unconditional love, that God would be a reliable help no matter what I was dealing with or going through. And I didn’t just want to know about God. I wanted to experience God.

My yearning was actually part of what I understand to be a larger spiritual revolution. Worldwide, across cultures, people are seeking a truer sense of Deity. Spirit, God (or whatever we call our Source) is impelling us all toward a life that’s bigger and deeper than what we perceive with the five senses.

This impulsion led me to Christian Science, which, based on the life and teachings of Christ Jesus, explains that God is pure Love, and the source of all good feminine as well as masculine qualities. It also teaches that we all are God’s beloved children - always, in all conditions - and that what’s true and enduring is the good in our nature. These are and continue to be revolutionary concepts. So revolutionary that, as they change our viewpoints about God and ourselves, we can experience healing from disease and suffering as Jesus showed us.

Here’s an example. A friend of mine had experienced deep feelings of sadness, loneliness and depression – beginning in middle school and persisting through high school. He even attempted suicide.

During this time he was convinced that God did not exist and that the power of the universe was crushing him. But he was mentally conflicted too – he also felt his only hope was in the power of God.

He was familiar with Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and decided to read it through entirely because he felt his only hope and help would be in consciously understanding more about God. So he decided to read through Science and Health cover to cover, which he did over a dozen times over the next few years.

A growing sense of hope, felt from reading the spiritual ideas on every page, was persistently replacing thoughts and feelings of despair and depression. One night, he had a profound spiritual moment that made this fact clear: The truth of his spiritual being is his oneness, his inseparability with God, and that this truth is a rock to stand on!

My friend said it was like he was suddenly released from being held underwater! During the next few weeks he had a tangible sense of the presence of Love, embracing everything and everyone. He went on to be completely free of the crippling depression and live a life filled with meaningful purpose and satisfaction.