For 1000 People There Are 1000 Paths to God

When I was in graduate school I had the opportunity to attend a forum entitled Global Chicago. A wide variety of topics were discussed with each topic being led by a number of experts. There was incredibly poignant statements made about the beautiful cultural tapestry that is Chicago but the quote that stuck with me the most had nothing to do with Chicago.

One of the topics discussed was religion. A wide variety of religions were represented and even though I identified with the Christian representatives the most a Buddhist monk captured my attention when he stated something to the effect:

“For 1000 people there are 1000 paths to God. I wish you the best as you go down your path to him.”

I think of this quote on almost a daily basis for the past four years. To me God, love, the universe, the unifying force that ties us all together are all one and the same. How can we have only one way to relate to God when human beings do not come from a cookie-cutter?

It is obvious through human interaction that there is multiple ways to show love and gratitude. So shouldn't this be acceptable for our most important relationship? The relationship between a person and God ties us all into the universe and makes us a member of the most important team, humankind.

In the religious satire Dogma Kevin Smith and company have a very interesting hypothesis between the differences between a belief and an idea. A belief is more concrete while an idea is more fluid.

It is a personal decision for you to choose what to believe and what to think. I am certain there are critics out there who think some of my beliefs are absurd but I can promise you my beliefs are firmly planted in my heart and they're not going anywhere. Never waver on your beliefs if they come from a place of love and peace but I humbly ask you be open to other people’s beliefs as ideas because we must not separate, we must find a way to unite.

Because I spent five plus years of my life studying marketing I tend to look at things from a marketer's perspective so that is what has led me to my next idea. Is it possible that God is behind all religions based in love and faith? He is the master marketer of the universe who realized in order to get his message across to the highest number of people he had to offer multiple ways to communicate his message.

I know some of you are probably saying, but Chris think of all the negative things that happened in the world based on religion. Atrocities like the Crusades and the Holocaust had nothing to do with God. It was man who chose to be evil and separate.

Everyone is a beautiful child of the universe and it is our duty to embrace and tolerate. Let’s live in a world where two strangers can meet at a fork in the road, have a heartfelt conversation and then they peacefully go their own ways with love for one another.

Individually and together we have all the tools we need to make this a reality however it is up to us whether or not we want to have the patience and understanding to make this happen.

I wish you good luck on your path to God.

Much Love
Chris