The Face of the Divine

Many look for the face of the Holy and hope to find a visage similar to their own.  Religious iconography shows a multitude of different modes of the divine throughout history.  The path we walk sometimes dictates (not always by our choosing) the face that is present in the sky and trees and books that we encounter.  This face is often sought as a moment of strength or comfort to ourselves.  In those cases, it is understandable that the Face of the Divine would show to us the familiar and wanted.  The trouble however becomes when we interject onto the path of others the need for solidarity.

This is not to say that coming together with a spiritual family is a bad thing.  Others who seek comfort in the Holy and find the Face of the Divine similar to our own often share the same interests, culture, language, and geography.  They share a similar need for comfort as well as a similar understanding and contextual presence.  Finally, many share the same religious need as their brethren.

There are times though when this is not the case.  Too often does the need to find solidarity break the bounds of right and wrong to impose or cajole onto others what is “known” or “correct”.  It is at this time that the Face of the Divine becomes blurred and comfort becomes confusion.  Many stumble at this point on their own path, not understanding what they are supposed to do when the Holy does not match what they see in their heart.  Devotion gives way to dogma.

Finding the correct path for you (not the true, only the correct) involves first traveling inside and finding the divine within.  Understanding what our hearts and souls are telling us, where the voices of angels and demons alike come from.  In some ways, this is the paradox as inside is not always a matter of introspection.  Life is, in many ways, Paradoxal in that the answers we seek to internal questions can be seen in the clouds and the movement of birds and the outward questions come to us in dreams and memories.

The face of the Divine shines in Creation, in the light of morning, the sway of trees, and the clouds covering the moon.  Watching the miracle of birth or simply the miracle of laughter can be an uplifting experience.  The choice though, is personal.