Many roads.
Many maps.
Many guides.
But what if the purpose of every journey is to find the same destination?
There are many paths a person can take to reach a destination.
Ask a hiker.
Ask a rock climber.
Ask a traveler.
Ask anyone who has spent time exploring.
Rarely is there only one road.
There are often many ways forward.
That realization caused me to ask an important question.
If there are many roads to travel, what is the true purpose of religion?
RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO ARGUE.
ASK QUESTIONS INSTEAD.
I have noticed something very simple.
Everything was already here when I arrived.
The mountains.
The oceans.
The stars.
The seasons.
Life itself.
I showed up after the fact.
Like everyone else.
I am a visitor.
An observer.
A borrower.
A steward.
One day I will leave everything behind just as every generation before me has done.
That leaves me with far more questions than answers.
And perhaps that is not a bad place to begin.
I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT GOD.
THE MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES.
When exploring any religion, it may be wise to consult your heart as well as your mind.
Religions offer teachings.
Traditions.
Practices.
Rituals.
Communities.
Yet their highest purpose may be much simpler.
To point toward God.
To point toward truth.
To point toward something greater than ourselves.
The map is not the destination.
The sign is not the city.
The guide is not the journey.
GOD WANTS OBEDIENCE…
NOT YOUR HELP.
Human beings like systems.
We like formulas.
Packages.
Instructions.
We like to believe that if we simply follow a sequence of steps, everything will work out perfectly.
That approach works reasonably well with machines.
But spiritual growth is different.
The soul does not operate like a machine.
The heart does not operate like a machine.
The search for God is not a factory process.
It is a relationship.
It is a journey.
It is a discovery.
HOW CAN GOD BE IN ONLY ONE PLACE?
Throughout history people have claimed to know the way.
Many meant well.
Many were sincere.
Yet I have often noticed that actions speak louder than words.
If someone claims to have found truth, it should eventually show itself in how they live.
In how they love.
In how they forgive.
In how they treat others.
As I wrote in God I AM:
“The search for God begins with questions, but it ends with relationship.”
— Richie Naggar, God I AM
MAN AGREES ON SOMETHING.
Across cultures.
Across centuries.
Across continents.
Humanity continues reaching toward something greater than itself.
Joseph Campbell observed this while studying myths, religions, and cultures throughout the world.
Different names.
Different customs.
Different ceremonies.
Yet the search remains remarkably similar.
People seek meaning.
People seek purpose.
People seek truth.
People seek God.
RELIGION IS A GUIDE.
NOT THE DESTINATION.
Imagine breaking your leg.
You go to a hospital.
You receive treatment.
You heal.
Then you continue your journey.
The hospital served its purpose.
Likewise, religion can teach.
Encourage.
Challenge.
Correct.
Inspire.
Strengthen.
Renew.
But its purpose is not merely to keep you sitting in the waiting room forever.
Its purpose is to help you continue the journey.
THE ALPHA LEADS TO THE OMEGA.
AND THEN WHAT?
Suppose you were traveling to a destination you had never visited before.
You would gather maps.
Read books.
Ask questions.
Seek guidance.
Study directions.
Eventually, you arrive.
Once there, the purpose of the map has been fulfilled.
The destination now stands before you.
The closer something brings you to truth, the more freedom it should produce.
Not fear.
Not confusion.
Not endless dependence.
Truth liberates.
Truth satisfies.
Truth brings peace.
WE ARE MOTION MACHINES.
DESIGNED TO SEEK.
I have long believed that one purpose of life is to discover the purpose of life.
What greater adventure exists?
To seek.
To ask.
To knock.
To wonder.
To explore.
To investigate.
To discover.
To pursue the One who created galaxies beyond counting.
Who sustains life beyond comprehension.
Who designed systems so intricate that they continue to astonish us.
The One who brought all things into existence.
Such a pursuit is worthy of a lifetime.
As I wrote in Pearls for the Soul:
“The greatest journey is not across the world, but toward the One who made it.”
— Richie Naggar, Pearls for the Soul
WHAT THEN?
The purpose of religion may be simpler than we imagine.
Its highest purpose is to point us toward God.
To encourage the search.
To strengthen the traveler.
To illuminate the path.
To prepare the heart.
To awaken the soul.
In every sincere search for truth, fragments of truth can be found.
The invitation remains the same.
Seek.
Ask.
Knock.
Learn.
Grow.
Journey deeply.
And do not stop until you find what you are looking for.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
Been expecting you