There are thousands of religious movements and several fundamental world religions. Regardless of which of them people belong to, when they hear the word “God,” a certain common image appears in their heads, supposedly corresponding to the appearance of God. A kind of grandfather with a snow-white beard, kind (or not so kind – it all depends on the mind in which this image arises) eyes sitting on a puffy cloud and looking untiringly at the people bustling on earth.
And the motivation for going to church is often a life problem. Lack of money, work troubles…. Anything! As soon as we feel that we can’t (read – don’t want to) work on ourselves and our lives and accept everything that God gives us, we try to beg for another version of events.
We go to church, take a candle, put it near an icon, and start praying… We think we’re praying, but we’re actually performing a ritual that we think should bring about the fulfillment of our wishes. A promotion, a new apartment, a meeting with true love in exchange for a candle.
But is there any point in turning to God in this way if we are not communicating with him, but mechanically performing certain actions? We go to church, buy a candle, put it in front of an icon – because we have to. Are these regularly repetitive actions what God expects of us?
These actions, rituals, and prayers are really primarily for us. They make us feel that we are in touch with God. And it makes absolutely no difference whether we are Christians, Buddhists, or Muslims: what difference does it make what we call God, if he is the only one, if he is everything in this universe?
And does it make sense to argue which way is the right way to God if they all converge at the same point, they all lead to God? Every religious path is right because it leads to God, no matter how different it is from the other roads.
What is he, God?
God is all-powerful and infinite, always here and always at the other end of the universe. He is like a vast ocean of innumerable droplets, and those droplets are us.
And even if we don’t want to admit it, we are as much a part of God as the drops are a part of the ocean.
God never stops caring for us, giving us the best that we need for our development. And if we feel like God isn’t giving us something, we just don’t have the intelligence to realize that we don’t need it right now.
God does not make mistakes, he always knows exactly when and what we need, he gives us valuable gifts that we may simply not notice because our eyes are directed in a different direction.
To see God’s gifts, you have to keep your heart open at all times. To be happy, we must seek communion with God.
Not a single drop of water will be happy away from the ocean; it will gradually evaporate under the scorching sun.
Why is it so hard to find a connection with God?
Our connection with God has been broken, which is why we have forgotten how to communicate sincerely with him. Instead of peace of mind we were filled with fears: fear of material hardship, fear of separation and broken relationships, fear of death.
If our connection to God were strong, we would not have these fears because we would feel protected by God. Once we broke our relationship with God, we planted the seeds of fear within us, and the seed of fear of broken relationships germinated best.
It is this fear that drives us when we are afraid to make mistakes, to look foolish, to say things that are not expected of us. Subconscious memories of the break with God bother us more than possible illness or pain. That’s because our soul longs to bring that relationship back to life.
How to reconnect with God
Don’t try to repeat your mistakes by machine rituals. Speak to God sincerely, from your heart, exactly as you feel here and now.
Think about him, open yourself to him, pray, communicate with him. Talk to him whenever you feel the need, no matter where you are – in the temple or at home.
As soon as real, sincere communication begins, as soon as you thank him for everything he has given you in this life, and not start begging for material goods again, your connection with God will begin to strengthen.
It will be strengthened more and more, with time a Teacher will come into your life, people in whose heart God lives and truly magical events…
Reestablishing this connection is something that each of us should strive for. After all, all paths lead to God, but not everyone comes to him with faith in his heart. I sincerely wish you wisdom and strength to help you reconnect with God.
With love, Shakti. 
