Walking in the Valley A weekly column for those who live and walk in Silicon Valley by Barbara Dahlgren

Silicon Valleyites tend to pride themselves on being spiritual but NOT religious. I've talked to so many people who feel there is a higher power but don't know what it is. They lean toward the Eastern religions because they love using words like karma, dharma, and Greg. Ha! (Just wanted to see if you were paying attention!) Okay! Strike the Greg. But they do toss karma and dharma around but if you ask them exactly what it means, they don't really know. It's some nebulous spiritual thing and it makes them feel good to think they are somewhat spiritual. It's almost as if they create their own religion. They make this higher power into what they want he, she, it, or whatever to be. The higher power submits to them instead of them submitting to the higher power. It's a very convenient relationship and one a person can control. But it doesn't really fill up that empty space inside of us.

So man tries to fill that empty space with different things. He makes a religion out of money, pride or fame. For what is religion except where you place your faith and trust or what you worship? But money can't save you. Just ask any wealthy person who has gotten cancer or aids. Pride can't give you a better relationship with your family. Just see how close a father and son are if one can't say, "I'm sorry!" And fame is certainly fleeting because what is popular one day will not be popular tomorrow.

What amazes me is that even though people don't want to be religious, they are drawn to the Bible in one way or another. Look how many epoch movies have been made about Bible stories. And what about names? Do you know that according to the Social Security Administration 9 out of the top 10 names given to boys for the year 2000 come from the Bible? Girl's names such as Elizabeth, Abigail, Anna, and Sarah are high on the list. And Hannah is the number one name for girls. These are all solid biblical names. As I was waiting in the airport to pick up a friend I noticed that the August 9 edition of USA Today listed The Prayer of Jabez as the number one selling book. This was not in the Christian book sector. This is the number one selling book on the secular market. Don't tell me that people aren't yearning for a relationship with a higher power that they cannot control.

Yet, many hesitate to become part of a church because they feel organized religion has done more harm than good. That's hard to argue with. When you look at how many splits and divisions denominations have made over picky, picky things that have nothing to do with salvation all in the name of truth, I can see how it would not look appealing to one searching for meaning to life. It's true that we've muddled the message (John 3:16-17) and perhaps have caused some to throw the baby Jesus out with the bathwater. That's too bad. Because whether people know it or not, they are yearning for Jesus in their lives. And the message of Jesus is clear. It's called LOVE.

When I was young, I would visit my grandfather in the middle of nowhere in Southeast Missouri. It was farm country. On Sunday everyone would go to a little country church. I don't even remember the denomination but I do remember the message. It was one of loving God and loving your neighbor. It was one of Jesus coming to save the world, not condemn it. That is the real old time religion. It doesn't shout so much about truth. It whispers about love. And guess what? It's a very spiritual thing!

©August 2001

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