Collective Spiritual Intelligence and Ignorance... And Light

Collective Spiritual Intelligence and Ignorance... And Light

Have you ever sat in attendance in a religious meeting?

Sure you have. Sometimes you stand at them. Or dance.

Some of you feel that it bored you to tears. Or the repeated monotony of it. Non-creative meetings or ceremonies; they were, perhaps in your humble or superior, or simply individual opinion, "un-inspired" places of worship. Wasting your time.

Meanwhile, some of you feel like you are thrilled to no end when you were there.

Most are in the realms in between.

To be part of any group, religious or secular, there is a means to its end.

Its purpose, or purposes, are both collective and individual. To help both you as the producer and consumer of the actions or lessons there, and also to create a synergy from the group, the crowd, the mix and the sometimes mayhem of the co-participants.

It is good and  helpful to the mind, the soul, and the community to "commune". For me, it is not time wasted. There are things to be gleaned from, things to learn from, things to impart.

The brain absorbs and expands through such interchanges. These are spiritual and communitarian muscles that we need to grow as ourselves.

There are exceptions where the relationship of the attendee might be detrimental.

Things happen. Move on to another place and make it happen there. Commune.

Learn. Connect.

I regularly attended my own church services weekly as a youth. I learned to enjoy and prosper from them. 

When I was small (maybe 7?) I attended the bar mitzvah ceremony of my older cousin in the Boston area. We also had a tremendous time at the after party celebration.

When I was 14 I was able to go to the suburban garage of some Christian evangelicals and their concert/preach session, and the religious conversations of the upstairs after party. I still remember the scriptures of the Bible that we discussed in the noise of the friendshipping.

When 18 was invited to go to a Christian church outside my town in Ellettsville, and commune with the worshippers there. The person who invited me reciprocated and came to my services in Bloomington. I think we both gained from that interchange.

I visited Spain later that summer; I did not attend mass with my host family, mostly because I do not think that they regularly attended. If any of them did I missed out by not going. I did attend my own humble services in Castellon de la Plana. It was new in a new language. It stretched and expanded my brain. My soul. My whole understanding of me and us, the eyes that I use and the universe around me.

While in South America I attended my own church services for two years, but I was also able to attend the church services of the various Protestant congregations, an evangelical church (probably Assemblies of God), a Thursday and Saturday Catholic service, and Saturday worship with the Seventh Day Adventists. I would pass by many services and overhear their worshiping songs and sermons. Some would march through the streets, or preach openly from the neighborhoods.

I also missed a month of all services when I got sick and I was hospitalized. Sometimes the absence of attendance in a faith community teaches us what it is to be in the lack of communion. I certainly felt it.

This helps us learn, for sure. The lack--a pronounced absence--of water, food, community--missing it teaches in its own indelible ways.

When I returned to the United States I was able to re-fellowship and reconnect with my American compatriots; some were Canadian, Japanese, Danish, even Icelandic.

When living in Provo, Utah, I became a regular attendee of the Friday prayers conducted by the university Muslims. Very enriching. Going to religious meetings with your own kind from all over was great, too. Communing with South Americans, Caribbeans, Asians, Europeans, Africans, Australians.

We were brought together. Formally and informally communing as people, as saints (followers), those who submit to God (Muslims).

When I returned to Indiana I attended more Muslim services at a bonified mosque; I also attended a synagogue Friday night (Sabbath) meeting. And, I increasingly attended United Methodist church meetings due to family contacts and I was able to attend the large Christian meeting of a renter at my mother's house. He was a youth pastor with the calling of religious servant as his plan for his career. He declined coming to one of our break the fast dinners. Not actual worship, just fellowship with a prayer.

His loss? Certainly. Ours, too.

In California I was able to connect quickly and rather powerfully with my fellow members there. I loved it.  

On the UCLA campus I became better acquainted with Sikhs and others, including Scientologists. They are human, too, despite all the rumors. I enjoyed learning about what they value and what some of them are like. I think I was strengthened through their and others' contact and sharing.

I did my military worship and religious visits in the Army on different bases: Protestant services, Catholic, Gospel (which was predominantly African-American), Muslim. I even went to an Earth based service! It ended up being more uplifting than I thought it would.

Surprise, organized religion! Also, looking back, communing with fellow soldiers was usually a good thing.

When overseas, I attended my services with people from all over: Germans, Norwegians, Filipinos, and us regular Americans. From all walks of life. We are all brothers and sisters everywhere.

In the years since, I have conversed and communed and organized with others: Bahai B'rith, Jewish, Muslim, Hindus, Catholics and other Christians. I have prayed, conversed, chanted, broken bread bread, danced, and worshiped with hari krishna with my sister in Salt Lake City.

I have attended Protestant and Catholic masses in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts. I have listened to the homilies, sermons, talks, and discussions.

I prayed for the recent death of a soldier in Afghanistan, there with his fiancee and family. I have spoken at and attended funerals. Those of my faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and those of others.

We are all brothers and sisters.

We all practice the same religion: life. Humanity. Living and dying on the same planet, most of our lives.

We must commune together.

Let's go to church!

Let's go to mosque!

Let's go to synagogue.

Let's go to the temple or worship lodge of your choice.

Would I go to an American Indian shaman, or curandero, or medicine man, I was asked recently?

Sure thing.

We all worship on this earth together.

We are all the same.

Show it through attending one another's services. Go again and again.

If you are not comfortable at one, go to another.

There is light out there. It is not all bottled up in scholarly works and authoritative data.

Humanity brings us closer to the light of knowledge. We must seek it, at least partially in groups and religious services, to really know what and who and how we are. We need each other...

We need light.