How I Find the Divine in the Dirty: A Personal Story of Pantheism

My journey from cow dung to cosmic unity.

My parents took me back to their homeland in Germany when I was four. They had been living in the United States for the past seven years, and this was their first trip back.

Above is my dad's passport, issued in 1967, which also includes my mom and me. In many countries, including the United States, it was standard procedure to include the names of the accompanying family members in the passport of the primary traveler.

Countries did it this way for ease of travel and identification and to ensure that all family members could enter and exit foreign countries together.

While I don't remember much from our visit, there is one tiny snippet I can't erase from my memory.

My mother grew up on a farm in rural Northern Germany, and her siblings kept it going after their parents died. While taking a stroll through the farmland, my uncle and dad were immersed in conversation while I ran ahead.

I remember seeing something funny-looking on the path. What was that?

Curious, I walked right up to a big pile of cow dung. I was a city kid. What did I know?

I bent over and touched it.

As soon as I did, I knew I had made a terrible smelly mistake.

My uncle, who was in his late teens, began howling.

Sie hat Scheiße angefasst! Sie hat Scheiße angefasst!

For non-German speakers, this translates to, "She touched shit! She touched shit!"

My uncle's face turned purple from laughing so hard.

I was humiliated, crying and presenting my soiled hand to my mother for her to remedy.

Had my parents been pantheists instead of Catholic, they could have turned this unfortunate incident into a beautiful lesson.

Pantheists believe that God, or a divine force, is inherent in everything in the universe and that the universe itself is divine. There is no separation between God and the universe or between God and individuals.

Everything and everyone is a divine manifestation—even a pile of shit.

Pantheism is integral to many belief systems, including Hinduism, Taoism, Native American spirituality, Stoicism, and Romanticism. Pantheism is also a part of yoga philosophy, depending on the heritage practiced.

I like this philosophy because it reminds me that even when I dislike someone, they are as much a part of me as the rest of the divine universe.

To hate someone, is to hate God and myself.

We are in a symbiotic relationship with the entire universe, constantly moving to a cosmic dance. We eat food, and excrete waste. We inhale oxygen, exhale carbon dioxide. Energy is always changing form.

Everything in creation works together in harmony for each other’s benefit.

No matter what form the universe takes, it’s still God through and through.

Do you agree with the pantheist viewpoint? Take my poll below.

Thanks for taking my poll. Exciting things are cooking here at the Bliss Beneath. I’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks.

Here are a couple of stories I’ve recently published on Medium that you can read for free.

Don't Ignore Your Emotions: The Connection Between Emotional and Physical Health

How To Reboot Your Emotions and Bring Them Back Online