Reaching Toward Heaven

To be honest, I often struggle with the tendency of human beings (and by extension organized religion) toward dogmatism and a drive to conform in ways that seem to diminish God. Today, however, I was reminded over and over why I stay committed to my spiritual journey.

This morning I went for a run and decided to push myself much harder than I originally planned to. I ended up exceeding my expectations and was reminded of Marianne Williamson's well known quote that begins, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world."

In my mind, the idea of being a child of God--of having divinity within us--is about stretching ourselves beyond our own limited ideas of who we are and what we think we are capable of. It's an evolutionary force that ultimately enables us to transcend our physical circumstances. I believe that great things have and will come about because of this, but the idea also manifests itself in the simplest of things, like being calm and generous in spirit when the passenger sitting next to you on a plane is having a tough time with a screaming baby or getting to the top of the hill when you think your legs can't carry you another step.

Early this afternoon, I went to a funeral for my friend's mother, who I never met (but wish I had when I discovered she was to be buried in shiny red coffin in lieu of being buried in the shiny red Corvette she loved). When the bishop spoke at the end of the service, he reminded us that we are beloved children of God the Father and God the Mother. In my grasping faith, I am comforted by the Mormon idea of the feminine divine and was glad to hear it spoken at the pulpit today.

Late this afternoon, Roger, Jack and I went up to the top of West Mountain for a picnic dinner. When we drove over the crest of the first peak, we caught a view of BYU's observatories. I love that Mormonism embraces truth wherever it is found and that the sciences are no exception. We believe that we are meant to learn everything we can about what is in the heavens, in the earth and under the earth. Personally, I think God is thrilled with the progress people have made in figuring out geological processes, laws of physics, evolutionary biology, and genetics. And, of course, astronomical objects and phenomena.

When the sun went down, we came off the mountain and stopped by the shore of Utah Lake. Jack gave me a big hug as we watched the waves crash on the breakwater.

A perfect reminder of why I reach toward heaven.