Lynne, let me add that based only upon my own, first-person experiences let me offer that I believe one’s connection to the divine can only come from first accepting that there really does exist a larger more encompassing and inclusive divinity, second that each of us are part of it, and last that each of us can feel that connection if we allow it.
I think that sounds a lot like faith. However, what I believe comes in three pieces not just one or two parts.
I think there could be one more important piece. In about 1994 I made a conscious decision not to lie - not even little white lies - any more. This includes not propagating even distant past statements and stories which I perceive could be false. This is not the same as being brutally honest. Like if my girlfriend asked, “Does this skirt make my butt look big?”, I would be very careful about how I answer because I elect not to lie but that doesn’t imply I have to be mean too. I could not respond in a way designed to give her an opportunity to come to the wrong impression - my response must be materially factual. But I still don’t have to be mean...unless I really intended my honest response to be hurtful.
At the point I made the choice to always tell the truth - which honestly is not easy to do cold turkey - the entire universe seemed to open up to me. It was after 1994 that my personal epiphany occurred; I was already at least one year down my journey of truth by that time.
My own perception is that it is factually difficult to be well connected to the divine and not be honest about the truths of that divine too.
