How do I begin this, with such a loaded title? I suppose that I used the title to intrigue people enough to read this. And to begin, I must begin with myself: I am not "religious" because I feel uncomfortable worshiping a singular object or being. I am not "spiritual" because that word seems silly to me. We are all comprised of several things, including a spirit. So everyone is "spiritual", whether or not they like or realize it. And so when I use the word GOD, I do not mean a specific being or entity.
I would also like to put forth that I have never really written or spoken about much of this before, especially on this blog. I don't want to say that I choose what to write about in a political sense, but historically speaking, I have thus far chosen not to write about things that would potentially offend anyone. I have also kept the thematic concepts tied directly to the doings of the band. But for anyone that actually reads this, I imagine that for whatever reason, they find enough value in my words to give it their attention and energy. And while I am in no way interested in "converting" anyone's thoughts or ideals into my own, I do have one truth in me that I would like to share.
To me, art is truth. It is abstract only because through the abstract, the literal can be explained more completely. For instance, as humans, we can hear 10 octaves of sound, but only see one octave of light. And beyond those 10, or that 1 octave, there are many more that we cannot or do not knowledgeably experience. So, the only way to tell the truth, which is something so much larger than anything that our literal words, images, or sounds can detail, is by setting about something larger than our "literal", which is the abstract. I am putting myself now out on a limb. I will be completely honest in my experience, and you may choose, as abstract as it may be, to either think me a fool, or a friend.
Everything is connected, nothing is alone. Everything is built of the same material at it's most basic level. Energy. And that is God. God is everywhere, everyone, and everything, because it is all comprised of energy. God is the energy of creation. And since we are all built of this, we hold the very key to creation in ourselves. Everything that has ever existed to us, is because of us. We are the eyes of God, so that we may see and rejoice in all of what we have created. In essence, we are the ultimate artists. This world is our canvass, and we exist to think up and thus create the most beautiful things imaginable. And there are so many of us, like different facets of a prism, because it gives a wonderful unknown diversity. Shine a singular light through a simple prism, and you get a rainbow. Thus, shining a light through humanity, gives us everything we know today.
Sadly, and happily, we have power. It's actually not too sad or happy at all. It's the most simple thing there is, because it is just that . It is. The funniest thing about this power, is that it is actually quite limitless. Like love, there is no bottom to this well. It is eternity, forever full. With limitless power, within each and every one of us, how is it that we can all tend to feel so small, alone, and powerless? I myself fall into this all the time. It's a tricky trap. And when you get used to this cage, it becomes an addiction of comfort. Knowing that you can define your limitations and stay put in your box, means that you can give yourself the illusion of safety within that box. Even if you say you hate your box, why then do return every night to dwell in it? Because you feel like you know it, it is familiar, thus it is comforting. This is a waste. A complete waste of potential and a solid waste of existence.
Harsh? Perhaps. Not half as harsh as the waste itself is. No one was born to die, even though that seems to be the only way we can tell the difference between physical life and any other form thereof. But I was not born to live in a box, and then check out. If that were the case, I never would have been born. I was born to experience, and learn. Most of all, to try and remember what I already know, and apply it to my life so that I may learn even more. I was born, not to check in and check out, but to travel through the box and beyond, walls included.
But what am I getting at here? I guess that I just wanted to put forth that every person has the power of creation, and of course, the power of destruction as well. While the life cycle is natural, genocide is not. While doubt is natural, and leads to higher understanding and clarification, hatred is not. While pain is real, and I feel it everyday, it is not the basis of reality. It is a choice that I or someone else created. And as a person capable of free will, I can choose it or not. I can create and I can destroy. I have the choice to make between the two, and I have the responsibility of what I chosen. I have chosen to seek knowledge, so that I may better understand my choices, and my abilities. And with that choice of knowledge, I feel the responsibility of it. Knowledge is earned, and it's reward is application, but also dissemination.
Therefore, I suppose that my whole purpose for this post is because of the responsibility I feel. I have spent my entire life seeking a better understanding of it, and of myself within it. I imagine that many other people have done the same. We, as a planet, as a species, and as creators (or destructors) are at a crossroads right now. We hold the key to eternal bliss, and also the key to eternal hell. But no matter what anyone else wants to tell me, I truly believe that we alone are responsible for this. We can make our bed however we please, but you can be damn well sure that we are going to have to lay in it at the end of the day. Love, as misused, and misguided a four letter word as that might be, is creation. Unconditional love, is freedom. If every person that reads this post (all the way down to this rambling bottom) were to take a moment to fill themselves with the feeling of love, we can create Eden. Remember, there aren't actually any limitations or literal "rules" to stop us. For however low we can go, we can go infinitely that much higher. I fear sounding "preachy". I don't want to intrude on anyone's free will, nor tell them what to do. All I can put forth is an idea: If each person were able to put just one drop of love into this desert, there would grow an oasis... And then an ocean.
-DV
p.s. If you are down for some curious reading, click on the title.
