Love is the way...

Can you love something if you don't understand it?

I have been reading several fascinating books recently as I search for the answers to my questions about the divine being.

In the bible we read over and over again that we are to praise God and worship him. As I watch people's all over the world do their version of praise and worship it leaves me wondering how I am to internalize this. Let's say for the sake of argument that there is one divine being that created us and if this is so, then how does the divine being want to be loved?

If the greatest law of the bible is what Jesus was quoted as saying "Love" - including Loving God and Loving your fellow humans - well this brings me back to my question, how?

How do I know my creator?
How do I love our creator?
Do I have conversations with him? (I have to use him or her right?) Is God a male or a female or a perfect combination of both and so much more?
How do I listen to him?
How do I know what is really true?

OK, so not a bunch of new questions for so many - but for me I am questioning how I can know God so that I can love God perfectly. Each society thinks the God that they worship is the true God or God(s) as it is in some places. Yet how much peace has resulted from this possessive belief? If we are all so convinced that we are right than how open can we be to new information which carries truth in it? If we are convinced that our truth is the only truth - than we are judging that another's truth is false. I guess that is a natural human conclusion.

So in contrast to where I live and how I was raised I look at Buddha and what his message was as he came out of the existing Hinduim religeon of his people with multiple Gods. Here was a man that preached Noble Truths and taught people to disregard the traditions of their families and society and search for truth instead. Long story short - most everything he taught after his enlightenment has been misinterpreted just as the teachings of all leaders throughout time in all lands throughout the world.

He did not want to be worshipped - yet most of his followers do worship him and have idols made to do so - which in fact is the very opposite of everything he stood for.

If you read about World Religeons Buddhism is listed among them and then there are several described splits such as Theravada and Mahayana and their further divided schools of thought. I could go on and on about the many different branches of varying Buddhist philosophies - but the point is that no matter how great a teacher or being - mankind cannot agree on how to love and honor them.

So we have God and the son of God (Jesus) in the bible that we are supposed to worship - yet we do not agree on how that is to be done either - and we have many other religeons and teachings with other supreme beings - none of which we can see, touch or feel today.

So again - I believe in order to worship and adore and praise God - I must know his character, his likes and dislikes, what he wants me to do and be and think and feel.

Does anybody know God?
Are we afraid to know God?
Do we fear he is all about Do's and Don'ts?
Are we concerned that maybe he wants us to give up something we cherish or perhaps we dread finding out what he really wants us to do? So maybe we don't really want to know who he is or is not - because we'd rather just keep on living the way we are and we don't want him to cramp our style? Hmmm... I think soul searching is in order. Do we really want to know our creator?

More thoughts to come...