The Twelfth Insight - James Redfield [49]
“Think about what this means!” he continued. “Among all the religions, the experience is adequately covered. But taken alone, each religion is incomplete. Therefore, what is needed is for each religion to teach what it has correct about Divine Connection to all the others, and then learn from the others what is missing in its own teachings.
“This is the only way the whole experience can be understood and ultimately made part of humanity’s everyday reality. This is the purpose of the template groups—to reach a consensus concerning this natural reconciliation of the religions, for all to see.
“And remember, there are many groups of this kind coming together out there. Some will have it more right than others. But over time, through Conscious Conversation, the most truthful reconciliations will evolve in the public mind and become more powerful in their influence on human culture as we all move through the remaining Integrations.”
We were all following him completely, maintaining and even building on the energy level. Now we were no longer just members of various religions. We were a group of souls who had decided to help make history.
When I awakened the next morning, my head was still buzzing from the experience of the night before—especially the revelation that the extremist group already had a plan to start Armageddon. How many template groups, I wondered, would it take to reach these Apocalyptics and others like them? A thousand? Ten thousand?
As I pushed my way out of the tent, I saw that the others were already drinking coffee and watching a colorful dawn dance across a dark blue sky. I walked toward them, and when Coleman saw me, he dashed over, holding several pages of the Document.
“There’s something else in the Sixth Integration,” he said, pointing toward a particular passage. “Right here it says another tradition should be part of the reconciliation of religion as well—one that would engage in exploring spirituality through a lens that strives to be as objective as possible.”
“Whom are you talking about?” I asked sleepily.
“Us scientists!” he replied. “I can bring the viewpoint of the scientific tradition to our template group!”
Many of the others had heard what he said and all, including Wil, were nodding their heads in agreement. Coleman looked at me.
“Yeah,” I said, “of course.”
By midmorning, we had eaten breakfast and headed back to the circle again. Wolf had rebuilt the fire, but smaller now, just enough to break the morning chill.
For a long time, we stared at one another, embracing the feeling we’d reached the night before. Then Wil began.
“The Document discusses,” he said, “a few basic agreements that have to be reached before a template group can move forward, agreements that are key for this process to be effective. One is this: in no way should we think that the adherents of any one tradition should have to give up belief in the validity of their chosen way—only that they must seek to integrate the best of the rest.
“And the other agreement is that no one should think of their path as the only way to Divine Connection. Remember, we all experienced this Breakthrough despite the different religious perspectives we brought with us. The Connection occurred because we were in the same place of willingness and need to open up to a greater Divine Consciousness.”
What Wil had expressed was undeniable fact; we had all experienced the same breakthrough, and it meant that there were many paths, but only one direct experience. For a long moment, we all looked at one another again, the anticipation palpable. Then Wil smiled and looked down at the Document.
“It says to begin,” he stated, “with a focus on the element of the God Experience that has most remained in memory.”
We all just waited to see who would speak first. Then everyone’s eyes seem to fall on Coleman.
“As a scientist,” Coleman finally said, “the first element for me of this Connection