Over the years, I have worked with myself and others in dealing with past issues. Most of us do not have a perfect past. But one thing I have discovered is that our life is not our past. It may be made up of our past experiences, but it is not who we are today.
Many, like myself, grew up in traditional religious backgrounds. I cherished the traditions and rituals of the Catholic Church. It grounded me as a child and gave me a taste of the Divine that I would not have recognized later in life. But I am not Catholic! This is part of my past.
After leaving traditional religions, references to God can trigger many people.
The word and concept of God take some people back to a time when, maybe, they felt victimized by their former
religious upbringing. Often it reminds us of the historical God, who is angry and judgemental of humankind.
In the March/April Unity Magazine, Jan Phillips talks about Leaving God for God! According to Jan’s article, we need to let go of traditional religious teachings that are not helpful or believable. When we do this, we can truly embody the simple teachings of Jesus. When I left the Catholic Church and eventually embraced New Thought teaching, I left the God of my youth to understand who God or Spirit really is.
After the fire destroyed all my belongings, this lesson became very real to me. Over the years, I held onto my past, some of my religious relics — which were no longer me. At first, I was devastated over the loss of my history. But over time, I saw this as a way to turn the page on the part of my life that was no longer who I am. My life was not my past!
I let go of my historical perception of God years ago. Seeing Spirit as a loving, positive force in my life and the lives of those around me is refreshing. I do not wish to visit the past but to look forward to the future. This new person is who I am now!