Though the prospect of being our "own higher power" may give comfort for a time, running on our own effort would prove to be exhausting. Hence this is why it would be, as you stated, a fulltime occupation, and I don't believe that our perpetual search to better ourselves could ever satisfy that God-shaped need. Our shortcomings are too great, and if one were to really look into their thoughts and emotions, they would find that most of those are not sacred at all but quite the opposite. I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is the only way to fullfill that searching desire in all of us, and I can say this only because that searching within myself stopped when I found Him. A freedom and grace followed that I had never felt before I knew Jesus Christ and how He died for me. The "God-shaped hole" is too great a hole to fill for us to try to do it by ourselves. That searching will always be there, and hence never be "solved" but only filled with doings and what can be accomplished with your work, which is depressingly small when compared with the Universe; and making sense of the Universe is what the God-shaped hole is yearning for.

I just want to say briefly that any article that combines psychology with any sort of religious or spiritual aspect of the human experience is going to be controversial, and it is going to bring strong reactions. I applaud the author for tackling such a topic.

C is right - a narrow definition of god is surely limiting to the purposes of the discussion.

I find the idea of a god shaped hole to be an interesting theory. Perhaps it is the use of the word "god" I find offputting, but I don't find myself lacking, nor do I find that I have a great need that is not being fulfilled.

Whenever I feel empty and in need of direction, I spend time outside. I work with the soil, I spend time in the sun, I play with my dogs. It is through these things, and by interacting with such mystery (what really makes a tree grow, really?) that provides me with that spark.

Not to say that I haven't had great moments of illumination - those are rare, cherished, and few and far between.

Michael - am I missing the point? I will re-read this a second time, but I almost feel like this is written in defense of man's need for a belief system. Is it?

To me, this article speaks of the long journey to finding peace with one's self. Only after a long trip to Oz can we look down and realize we have been wearing magical red shoes all along. The void is the pathway back to yourself, back to home.

Why does the article claim we are ALL searching for something? Should we be feeling an emptiness or are some of us too ignorant to recognize that we feel it? Or is it stages we all go through of emptiness followed by "alrightness?" Is that when we are searching for something to fill a void? Is it a waste of life if one does NOT try to evolve one's potential and just live, just be, and just go through the motions of life, as long as we don't feel empty?

Michael wrote:
We are not only living within the context of nature, but as a fellow traveler along with this unfinished and ever-expanding universe that we inhabit.

This is the sentence in the article which resonates most with me- it is such a wise statement. Some 60 plus years old, I've found to my great surprise that I don't have all the answers. And to my equal surprise that nature, as wondrous and even sacramental as it is, is only nature, which passes away. I have this abiding belief that the journey will continue beyond death, that death itself is a new beginning.

I'm a Christian. I haven't always been able to say that though I was raised a Christian. My prayers to all whatever path you travel. I'm certain we'll all meet one another in a peace that passes all understanding.

I enjoy all your comments. Thank you all for writing.

Blessings,
Ann

Ann:

Thank you for your kind and heart-felt words. For all the answers you don't have, there is obviously wisdom in those that you do.

Blessings,
Michael

To all who commented: I really enjoyed reading your comments and the discussion and thoughts that it provoked in me. So I would also like to add a few comments myself.
First, I hope that I am not reading too much emotion into type-written words, and I apologize in advance if that is the case. But I get a sense that as soon as "God" is mentioned by one person, others become immediately defensive and assume that the Christian speaking is trying to force some sort of absolute on them. I am sad that so many people today are offended by the thought of God, especially a God who loves everyone, His entire creation, so much. As someone who chooses to follow Christ with my life, I want to clarify that when I speak of God, I am not trying to force an absolute on anyone, but I am simply trying to share the greatest source of fulfillment I have found. And I have tried being fulfilled without God, so I'm not speaking as someone who is naiive or inexperienced. I have found fulfillment in a Being who is infinite and greater than I can comprehend, so the mystery never runs dry. I, however, am a finite being who is imperfect. So, Michael, when you say that we ultimately find fulfillment in ourselves, I think that we as our individual selves will eventually reach our limit. And that is why I see the need for God, because when we allow Him to live in and through us, we won't reach a limit because our being has been transformed into something greater than we could ever create.
Also, to Jen, I agree with you that nature can provide that "spark". However, I would have to add to that, because I believe that in nature we experience God. In nature, we experience God's glory - his creativity, his love, his personality. What makes a tree grow? The life that God gives it, and it's wonderful!
A final note: I want to be clear that I am not trying to force an absolute on anyone. I think God is too big and great to be considered an absolute, anyways! Plus, we are all individuals with different experiences, so we will experience God in different ways. What my thought finally comes down to is this: I ask that you all try God out. The next time you search for fulfillment, whether in yourself or in nature or whatever, ask God to join you in that process. I'm not asking you to change your culture or life or spirituality or anything; God is everywhere, so wherever you are just try to find him and see what kind of fulfillment you discover. And yes, yours will be different from mine and everyone elses, but what have you got to lose?

Good luck in all your journeys,
Rachel

Well, imagine an airplane that suddenly is caught up in a turbulence and the pilot comes and announces that he can't land, how would the passengers feel? Even if they try to enjoy watching their favorite movie or eat a very delicious meal, they can't enjoy them from the bottom of their hearts. Don't you think this is where the emptiness comes from? Not knowing what lies ahead, where we are headed?

And finding the place to land and the certainty of reaching there will make the uneasiness clear up instantly.