Change is built into the fabric of nature – Roy Eugene Davis

It is better to drown fighting the current of fundamentalism than to be willingly swept down river into the abyss of dogma and stagnation. So many of us are afraid of change and of what lies ahead that rather than participate to ensure the spiritual future for the next generation, we attack the people trying to save the legacy of those who came before us. In doing so, we destroy the very foundation that makes sure a more awakened future is possible for those who come next. Nearly always, when we attack, violating the principles of nonviolence and truthfulness, we are doing so with “good intentions.” There is nothing more dangerous to our spiritual enlightenment than an arrogant, mediocre mind, with good intentions.

But Spirit always finds a way forward. God will not be confined by the prison of restrictive ideology. Rather, the Divine thrives under the eaves of God surrendered Souls doing what they can to serve in the best way they know how. We are not serving God when we resist change and growth. We are not keeping a teaching “pure” by restricting new ways of expression. We are instead, wading in the murky waters of delusion and foolish, self-righteous hubris.

The younger generations are more and more awakening to the understanding that God is within us, not in a building or in a book. Restrictive ideology has become a hallmark of useless doctrine that holds no appeal for them. They are rightly differentiating between religion and spirituality. Religion and religious organizations have become synonymous with limitation and constraint. If we, the older spiritual generation, are to serve the awakening process, we must learn to speak their new language and offer opportunities for spiritual growth to them in ways that intrigue and encourage. In doing so, we are not betraying the past or somehow corrupting its message, we are ensuring its continuity.

Spiritual evolution is not a concept: something we contemplate in the halls of our imagination. Spiritual evolution is the reality of God expressing in wonderous, continuous diversity in a relentless movement towards the Source. Whether we choose to participate with it or not is our choice. But if we do not choose to participate with it, it will simply leave us behind without drama or consideration, and we will be the less for it.

Let us not languish in the delusion of smug spiritual superiority. That is ego and what the Buddhists refer to as “the arrogance of enlightenment.” Instead, let us come together and support each other in the unrelenting process of spiritual evolution. If we participate and support one another, we are creating a spiritual community that can withstand the challenges that are inherent to life and living. We then carve a path into the future serving the next generation of spiritual seekers.