There are two different realities in which we live that are occurring interchangeably.
1) When we look up at the sky, a sense of awe flows through every inch of our flesh and bone. Suddenly we feel that our little existence is nothing compared to the vastness of the universe (God, Life, Nothingness, Pure Consciousness, whichever fits into our spiritual practices). Even the process of forming a single star is more significant than our automation in life for which we deem successes.
2) We don’t even bother to admire the universe or its creations. We are simply too occupied with our life. Somehow, it makes us think that our petty life is all that matters; nothing beyond our life is worthy of our attention/admiration/devotion.
To what extent the realities manifest themselves depends on how much our mind gives in. The sky is the same, and it is up to us to decide whether it is magnificent or ignorable. And the same goes for our notion of God.
When asked to describe God, we tend to bring out many of the terms found in the scriptures. Oh! God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent ( we are so good at memorizing texts)! Unquestionably, God himself/herself ( I find it tedious to describe God in only masculine terms) is everything the Saints described. However, let’s be honest: do we act as though God is omnipotent? Or are we simply acting based on our needs and desires? No matter how moral they may seem.
We are often told that we can be redeemed through beliefs in a higher reality. Despite being convinced that way, we still do not want to give in and are being obstinate when it comes to letting go of our mental prison. Instead of being mindfully led by God and dissolving into his/her inconceivable pureness, we create a shadow (which we call God) that looks rather holy on the outside and through which our prejudices and personal agendas are being justified.
Let’s put aside everything we have learned about God and stop using the be-like-a-saint strategy that is often used to mask our needs for continuous attention. By deep and honest introspection, our “God” is a mere manifestation of our narrowed and selfish mindset. In this case, he/she is no longer omnipotent but a subjective being used to rectify our desires. And since then, our God has been personal.
When you selflessly sacrifice yourself for others, it’s THE GOD who manifests himself/herself in your actions.
When you selfishly sacrifice others for yourself, it’s YOUR GOD who tells you that you and your gang are the only chosen ones in the world.
When you treat every being like the children of God, it’s THE GOD who grants you the courage.
When you are being selective and only treating a portion of people as the children of God simply because they can be of use to you, it’s YOUR GOD who tells you that not everyone is worthy to be saved from damnation.
When you are fully aware of the present, it’s THE GOD who communicates with you through this timeless moment.
When you have your own personal agenda, it’s YOUR GOD who communicates through your sophistry and baseless accusations.
When you take everything as God and God as everything, it’s THE GOD who is real omnipresent. On the contrary, when you still proudly proclaim “My God, your God,” it’s simply YOUR GOD lacking the necessary confidence.
Through the Saints, we can know about THE GOD that is impersonal.
And “YOUR GOD” is simply your presence in a holy cover.