Communicating on a higher level

According to one survey, there are a lot of people having conversations with Jesus Christ. The poll was done by a Christian research group. (I will let you determine whether that fact might have skewed the poll results just a tad.) Regardless, 77 percent is a big number. In an election, getting that percentage of votes would be considered a mega landslide.

Now before you start thinking that millions of Americans are hearing voices from the heavens, keep in mind that the poll liberally defined "speaks to them." In fact, only 16 percent actually heard an audible voice of Jesus. Most said that Jesus spoke to them through other means, like reading the Bible or through feelings and experiences in their lives.

There isn't much doubt that most of us do feel a gentle tug every now and then. Some of us call it a gut instinct. Others claim it is something more divine nudging us in one direction or another.

While I will do write about politics and other controversial topics in this blog, I generally stay clear of religion. It's just too complex and personal for this venue. I do wonder, however, that if 77 percent of Americans feel they are being guided or talked to by God -- Jesus in particular -- who is in communication with the followers of other religions from other countries? Does each religion have its own spokesperson? Can we only hear the voice of the deity we favor, or could a Muslim hear Jesus, too?

I know of some folks who believe dead people speak to them. Their dreams, they claim, are portals for the deceased to send messages to the living. Others are convinced that aliens have been communicating with us through crop circles and inscriptions in the deserts. Communications come in many forms, I guess.

I discount none of this. Until proven otherwise, anything is possible in my mind. Jesus sending text messages, UFOs burning mystical symbols into corn fields, the dead speaking to us at night -- I try not to mock any of it because, well, none of us really know much about the nature of the universe, let alone our role in it. In my opinion, the most important thing is to feel connected to something -- nature, a god, the cosmos, or all of the above -- outside of ourselves and to not use that connection or belief system to harm others. To do that, one has to listen -- really listen, without the clutter and static of everyday life. It isn't easy. We have to remain open to a wide range of possibilities and to not get so married to one belief or opinion that we can't hear all of the voices that surround us.