“Religion is the opium of the masses.” Karl Marx
Karl Marx, like him or loathe him, was indeed on to something. Opium doesn’t ask us to change or spiritually evolve, but only to grow thick in our spiritual tummies.
I have been feeling the apathy addiction: lethargic in my desire to even put words to paper; resilient to growing in self awareness; stubbornly resisting God’s tender mercies deciding instead to live in a small place called fear.
Opium, the drug, is highly addictive. Many, many years ago I smoked some opium…it made me dreamy “happy”, lazing the day away on the couch with nary a care in the world – not for food, human company, nothing. And my faith in God, if it becomes a drug called religion, is not much different.
If my religion is a drug, my so-called service to God becomes simple apathy. And apathy justifies complacency, fears awareness, stifles the inner –and outer – journey towards God, others and self. Apathy leaves a slimy, icky residue on the interior lining of my soul, leaving it good for nothing – neither God nor people.
If my faith in God becomes an opiate, it will only seek to preserve the status quo, all the while fearing change, ingenuity and the divine gift of day-dreaming for God.
Apathy addiction leads to the seven deadly words: “we’ve never done it that way before.”
My faith in God, my ever deepening love for God and from God is a journey called spirituality – and spirituality is just religion with its clothes stripped off. Spirituality is a verb whereby I stand naked before my God – a God who is pure love, eternal compassion, perpetual loving-kindness, and infinite goodness.
Spirituality heals the apathy addiction of religion and moves me deeper into God, creates movement, and fills me with the very attributes of God. Spirituality empowers me to love God and my neighbors with gentle vigilance, tender mercy, wisdom and compassion.
soulpatch.net 