There is no mistaking it when you encounter God. You simply know the divine has come upon you. Elizabeth Gilbert had such an experience in India and describes it in Eat, Pray, Love. She says people of all religions have that kind of experience. But, does this mean there are different Gods out there, or only one?
If you haven’t already, you should read Elizabeth Gilbert’s story. For now, here is one of her intriguing comments about spiritual experiences:
Every religion in the world has a subset of devotees who seek a direct, transcendent experience with God, excusing themselves from fundamentalist scriptural or dogmatic study in order to personally encounter the divine. (Eat, Pray, Love, p.143)
What she says is that there is always an underground movement of individuals who meet God first hand, not just through the teachings they receive through the authorities of their faith tradition. When I think about this comment and read her story, I think of the three classical descriptions of the way different religions compare:
1. Exclusivism.
Some people of faith say there is only one God. We may describe them as exclusivists, because they worship their God as the only true God.
2: Inclusivism.
Other people of faith say that many different religions teach us true things about God. Therefore, we must absolutely listen to each other. We need all the different religions to help us understand God, even though it does not change the fact that there is only one true God. We may describe these people as inclusivists, because they recognize the value of religions that are different from their own.
3: Pluralism.
Other people of faith say that all the different religions are nothing but different expressions of faith in God. We may talk about God as the divine, a spiritual power, a personal God, a moral principle, or a pantheon of Gods, but it all comes down to the same thing. We may call these people pluralists, because they believe all faith expressions have equal value.
So, what are we to do with experiences like the one Elizabeth Gilbert had? It was real, because it actually did happen. But, here is the deal. It happened under the guidance of a Siddha Guru, which is rooted in Hindu spirituality. For others, an encounter with God can be just as powerful, but it happens in a religion that does not believe in the Hindu gods.
What are we to make of this? Are all spiritual experiences of the same God?
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(Photo: talulayu)
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
First of all–Great way to ask the question!
Wish I had time to unpack it, but I will take the easy out and say no. My first thought takes me to the OT and the first commandment. To have no other gods before me, doesn’t deny other gods or their power, but calls people to put the God of the Hebrew people first. Now I am unpacking it. . . .. more later maybe. Very thought provoking!
doug, where are you? Please unpack. Until then, here’s what I’m thinking about your comment. You say that a commandment from the Old Testament is your reason to say that not all spiritual experiences are of the same God. Yes. But. What about those spiritual experiences that come NOT by invoking the God of the Old Testament, but an entirely different God? I mean, the people who have those experiences (and who have no interest in the commandments of the Old Testament God), would you then say that what they experience is somehow not legitimate because it does not come through the Old Testament God?