
Listening to the exalted Richard Rhor this morning, he brought it to my attention and reminded me that we all have something as the centre of our universe. If you don’t consciously choose what that centre will be, you will inadvertently make something the centre of your universe, as it is essential for our mental health and some coherence in life.
We see this happening around us, in people obsessed with sports, art, music, cooking, and even their families. Often, it’s things like success and wealth and accumulation. These aren’t all particularly bad. Some are good things, and some of them bring a lot of beauty and a lot of joy. But are these things or is the thing that you’ve inadvertently chosen to be the center of your universe what you want the meaning of life to be for you?
Since religion went off the rails and left us all suspicious of God and anything Divine, we, poor humans, have been flailing around, trying to find something to have at the centre of our universe to give our lives some meaning and purpose. And it’s evident that we are failing, and the symptoms of a people with no coherent centre are depression, anxiety, separation fear, and loneliness.
What worries me the most is that our modern society seems to more and more be putting ourselves at the centre of our universe, and the effect of this is narcissism, separation, fear and war.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of having false meaning at the centre of my universe, and I’m tired of letting the ego in religion steal away the divine from me.
Personally, I’m taking back my own relationship with God. This is my most radical rebellion against the system. I don’t follow what I’m told to. I follow the rules of love, kindness, compassion, and oneness.
What’s at your centre?