Above all things, there is one God, one force which unifies all other forces, one concept which unifies all other concepts. From this grows all that is in presence and action, and our universe is only a part of all that is. Many things are hidden from us but are possibly only a fraction of space and time away from us.
God manifests in many ways, because God is all that is. The universal yet unseen ways in which God materialises or manifests can be described as forces, entities, or demi-gods. The pantheon of God extends as far as the mind can extend and further still into eternity. The material universe is also a manifestation of God and this too extends into an eternity, much further than our eyes can perceive. The hidden and the unhidden are related to each other in this way, and both are part of the greater whole, God, which is eternal and infinite.
What is considered to be evil and that which is manifested as evil such as devils, demons, and satan, are aspects of God. This is because God is all that is. Evil is the shadow cast when the presence of God seems to reflect upon itself and leave a blank space in which people act. When fear and ignorance are present in the minds of people who are subjected to the natural laws of the universe, this becomes the source for wrong-doing. This process is represented by evil personifications and is a natural part of spiritual evolution within culture. God uses the presence of evil to create opportunities for good and due to the nature of humankind, it can be presumed that God ultimately intends for there be no reason for evil to be caused.
God has manifested through living creatures, this is known as life. Life manifests as individual conscious beings within the material universe. As aspects of God, they contain qualities of God. Some living creatures have been greatly blessed by God and have demonstrated this by living extremely Godly lives. Often accompanied by miracles or acts which have the appearance of supernatural origin, they have passed down wisdom from their own understanding of God.
As consciousness is an intrinsic part of being alive, so it is a part of God. This is because God is all that is. Therefore what we consider to be consciousness is a fraction of the true consciousness which is part of the whole that life is a part of. In this way, the consciousness of other beings represents other aspects of the whole consciousness present.
Those humans who have been greatly blessed to which their personal messages to us all have been preserved through time have been instrumental characters in the story God intends to tell for us. Each culture has received their own enlightened individuals through time in order to unify thinking as to what is right and what is not right for culture. The relationships with God that they inspired have helped us know how to understand our relationships to others and the universe in which we live, as all are manifestations of the one God.
Every culture has described the presence of God in their own unique ways, describing God as either a pantheon or as one entity. Both descriptions hold truth as God is a source from which all other things flow and can manifest in seemingly unique and unrelated ways. The manner in which all things are completely unified is hidden from us, however God intends for us to eventually discover the truth behind all things and at this point all of eternity and infinity will be revealed.
So with this in mind as the only reasonable and diversity conscious understanding of what God is and how God can be represented, we stand able to appreciate and understand, even nurture understandings of faith and religious practice which are not primarily linked to our own. The final words are God bless you, and may you be fortunate enough to encounter as many stories about God and methodologies to connect with God as humanly possible.
Rowan Blair Colver