Individual vs. Group - Paragraph 4

Here is the last summary paragraph in this sub-section titled Individual vs. Group. It’s quite simple, yet, its impact is quite large and heartfelt as it invites me to continue the intentional heart excavation in the name of Love.

“So our purpose here is not to outline the history of man’s various religions - about which so much has been written already - but to focus on God’s primary revelation as it came to various groups through singular individuals. The concern is not with an academic or intellectual understanding of our religions, rather, our focus is the experiential path of the individual as it reflects the key revelation of our enduring religions.”

Pondering these words it is clear that Robert’s interest does not lie in outlining or understanding the rise of religion, at least not within the context of this essay.  Here she is not interested in the historical or cultural context from which various world religions arose because “so much has been written already.” No, what she is interested in is how a particular revelation received by a “singular individual” resulted in an individual experiential lived path, which remains in the “enduring religions.” 

For instance, I see her exploring what first-hand revelation did Jesus live? How about Buddha, Laozi, or Confucius? Wikipedia has a long, extensive list of religions and their founders, it is quite impressive. Reading the list of all these religions I wonder is the nugget of truth at the center of each of them so diverse that a whole new sect or religion needed founding? While that is a lengthy discussion for another day, I’m remembering Robert’s words that “this same light, filtered through a group or social prism, becomes diffuse according to each one’s level of reception.” Clearly there has been A LOT of filtering over the millennia.

Reflecting on all this propensity for diffusion, the key take away seems we are all filtering all the time. My understanding of filtering extends two invitations to my heart. First, discard any hubris around the idea that any light given to me is clear. In fact, this very light is the impetus for rooting out the darkness and/or blindness I am not aware of. The second invitation is to extend a gracious amount of grace toward others and their filters and prisms. Here again is a space that provides many invitations, and constant inner work, to lay down my judgment of others.  

These invitations are a work in process. I’d like to think that I have made progress; that there is less darkness, less blindness, and less judgment, but I see that even that is a subtle filter I use to measure myself against you. The only thing to be done for my beautiful, messy human predicament is to offer gentle compassion to both myself and others as we grow and mature throughout this life. May it be so today!