Going to Church

Ok, those of you that know me can stop laughing. I'm not talking about Church run by the capitalist religions we have in the U.S. Those people know nothing of spirituality, their church is a place they can gather people, tell them what they want to hear, and empty their pockets. One church here in Montgomery actually tracks how much you attend and how much you give. "Satan is laughing with delight" Satan being a metaphor for the opposite G-d, or those that destroy life and and make life miserable for those who want to be spiritual.

Ok, now that I got my rant off, I can get back to the original purpose of today's post.

I went to church yesterday. It was an eight mile run in pouring rain. It was very good. I was soooo high and felt spiritually cleansed. The planet was giving it's love. I started out just going for a walk in the drizzle, and it started raining harder and the wind started to blow, so I started running to keep from getting chilled. Once I start running and I can stay nice and cool, I can run for a long time. The rain energizes me. I can keep going and going and going..... The euphoria from a long run is incredibly stimulating and quite addicting. No poisonous chemicals, just all natural high, one that comes from within yourself. Yes, it fuels the libido also. Too bad all the females runners were inside on treadmills watching Oprah make love to a warm Krispy Kreme Doughnut. Uh-oh, I'm starting to rant again.... (another story for another time).

Running isn't a religion, but it can feel like one sometimes, and only runners can know what I mean. The late great running philosopher George Sheehan M.D., author of "Running & Being", once said that his wife tells people "My husband used to be a Methodist. Now he's a runner". Running is a place to get away from your worries and crisises. A place to commune with nature, with G-d and yourself, a place for psychological and spiritual renewal. A church is not defined by a building (and G-d is not defined by a book, blah, blah, blah). It is a place where people of shared beliefs gather to connect with themselves, those around them, and give thanks for the blessings the universe is sharing with them. The roads and trails are my church, sometimes the church is full, sometimes I'm the only one in attendance, it doesn't matter. I reflect, I dream, I meditate, and I give thanks.

To paraphrase George Sheehan, "(This) glimpse of heaven is available to anyone, anywhere, anytime."