..I always felt that I would discover what religion means to me later on in life, but maybe I don't have that much time, since my belief in God has found me first. I have discovered, more articulately, what my belief in God is more akin to; I have in the past denoted it as Deistic after reading some excerpts from Benjamin Franklin. Perhaps a Deist is the right term for myself.
I haven't read enough on Deism, but I do know that God, to me, empowers us to do our very best in life, and entreats us to make our choices independently. That is what Benjamin Franklin believed Deism to be, and that is my standing definition as of now. I am not a Christian. I am Deistic by nature; I won't qualify it with saying I am a Deist just yet because I want to be sure.
I will not be labeled an Agnost because I've always believed that an agnost doesn't know what to believe in, or rather they simply don't know what to choose. I am not Agnostic because I am sure of what direction I am heading. I am not noncommittal. I am committed to believing in God. Just not the Christian or the Jewish or any other God than the one that is more transpersonal.
I label this post San Juan de la Cruz because he was a Spanish mystic who wrote beautiful poetry about his union with God in his mystical beliefs. I understand how he feels. Here is a poem for you to think about:
St. John of the Cross
On a dark night On a dark night,
Kindled in love with yearnings
--oh, happy chance!--
I went forth without being observed,
My house being now at rest.
In darkness and secure,
By the secret ladder, disguised
--oh, happy chance!--
In darkness and in concealment,
My house being now at rest.
In the happy night,
In secret, when none saw me,
Nor I beheld aught,
Without light or guide,
save that which burned in my heart.
This light guided me
More surely than the light of noonday
To the place where he
(well I knew who!) was awaiting me
-- A place where none appeared.
Oh, night that guided me,
Oh, night more lovely than the dawn,
Oh, night that joined
Beloved with lover,
Lover transformed in the Beloved!
Upon my flowery breast,
Kept wholly for himself alone,
There he stayed sleeping,
and I caressed him,
And the fanning of the cedars made a breeze.
The breeze blew from the turret
As I parted his locks;
With his gentle hand
He wounded my neck
And caused all my senses to be suspended.
I remained, lost in oblivion;
My face I reclined on the Beloved.
All ceased and I abandoned myself,
Leaving my cares
forgotten among the lilies.
Here's the Spanish version, far more beautiful than the English (kinda clunky in English, but considered one of the most beautiful Spanish poems of all time--translate, goddamit!).
San Juan de la Cruz
En una noche oscura En una noche oscura,
con ansias, en amores inflamada,
¡oh dichosa ventura!,
salí sin ser notada,
estando ya mi casa sosegada;
a escuras y segura
por la secreta escala, disfrazada,
¡oh dichosa ventura!,
a escuras y encelada,
estando ya mi casa sosegada;
en la noche dichosa,
en secreto, que naide me veía
ni yo miraba cisa,
sin otra luz y guía
sino la que en el corazón ardía.
Aquesta me guiaba
más cierto que la luz del mediodía
adonde me esperaba
quien yo bien me sabía
en parte donde naide parecía.
¡Oh noche que guiaste!
¡oh noche amable más que la alborada!;
¡oh noche que juntaste,
Amado con amada,
amada en el Amado transformada!
En mi pecho florido,
que entero para él solo se guardaba,
allí quedó dormido,
y yo le regalaba,
y el ventalle de cedros aire daba.
El aire del almena,
cuando yo sus cabellos esparcía,
con su mano serena
en mi cuello hería,
y todos mis sentidos suspendía.
Quedéme y olvidéme,
el rostro recliné sobre el Amado;
cesó todo y dejéme,
dejando mi cuidado
entre las azucenas olvidado.