Where’s a Good Old-Fashioned God (or Goddess!) when you Need One?

Maybe it’s time to be your own hero?

“What I wanted to express very clearly and intensely was that

the reason these people had to invent, or imagine, heroes and gods

is pure fear. Fear of life and fear of death.”

~Frida Kahlo

Humans have a peculiar need to idolize. In religion, entertainment, politics, and all areas of life, we make gods and heroes of other humans in lieu of taking the time to find the god within ourselves.

It may seem harmless to idolize others (who doesn’t love “American Idol?”), but we project hero status on others at our own peril, individually and collectively.

Religion has long warned of the danger of idolatry. As far back as the time of Moses, we were told, in the bible book of Exodus, “You shall have no other gods before me.” And yet, idol worship is rife throughout religion. From the statues in places of worship, to the absolute reverence given to priests, pastors, imams, swamis, and heads of religions, idolatry is alive and well. The average practitioner finds more divinity, and more to be admired and honored, in robed leaders than in his or her Self. We continuously give away our power to others under the guise of reverence. (There is a difference between honoring another’s wisdom and giving away the supremacy of our own divinity — more on that later).

Politics offers another arena of idolatry. We too often give away our allegiance to the leader or leaders of our political party of choice. Instead of questioning decisions, and objectively weighing the correctness of our leaders’ actions, we follow them like idolators behind a golden calf. No party, no “side,” is blameless in this. We become so beguiled by the promises and propaganda of our chosen candidate that we accept them at any cost. History is full of examples of humanity blindly following charismatic leaders into carnage, destruction, and genocide. If we were to suddenly wake up from the enchantment of our idol (whether it be a person or a cause) and look simply through the eyes of our own divinity, we would be horrified at the destruction of peoples, places, and habitats for a cause.

In the world of entertainment, we also create gods and heroes. We offer our adoration to singers, actors, athletes, and other popular-culture figures. These cultish crushes may seem harmless, but they are still a yielding of our own power.

When we value another more than we value our Self, we are operating in a system of idolatry.

When we admire another more than we admire our Self, we have forgotten our own divinity.

When we think more highly of another than we think of our Self — or our neighbor! — we devalue all of humanity.

I used to tell my kids that if I was at a cocktail party, and was talking to Bill Gates (at the time he was the richest man on earth) and he suddenly transmogrified into a homeless person, I would treat them both with equal deference (Okay, maybe I would try to find a chair and glass of water for the homeless guy, but there would be no change in interest or respect). I suspect it would be hard for most people to do this because, generally, we revere (or idolize) rich/famous/successful/powerful people more than other people. Of course, I used the extreme example of a homeless person to illustrate to my children that no human deserves more deference than another.

If we are all created equal (as is written in some texts) and we all have souls (as all religions attest to) then no person, president, priest or party deserves more honor than another. Yes, it is wise to listen respectfully and learn from the wisdom of others, as we are all at different places on the path to universal consciousness. It is also wise to question even the highest of authorities (although most of them won’t like that!) But, ultimately, your own divine spirit (when you have become attuned to listen to it) should always be the final authority.

Making individuals into idols is not good for them, and it is not good for us. I hear people question their faith when the teacher or preacher or spiritual singer is outed for sexual misbehavior. Why put your faith in him or her in the first place? Why raise another soul to a higher level than your soul?

You, yourself, are a creature of divine origin, a speck of the cosmos made into human form. Your consciousness is as able and elevated as the highest consciousness in the universe.

That’s a pretty immense, powerful spirit you have, right there inside of you.

Don’t be afraid that you don’t know how. You do. You just need to practice. Connect regularly with your divine nature, through things like meditation, prayer, journaling, silence, getting out into nature, etc. This will remove the fear Frida spoke of, the fear of life, and the fear of death, that makes us seek heroes and gods in religion, politics, and entertainment.

And here is the good news, the simple truth that could save our world:

When you know your own divinity, you know god.

And there is no need to look further.