Yamaya Cruz
New African Spirituality

When we go to the movie theater, our eyes are focused on the screen. We become so engrossed by the storyline, the sound and special effects, that we fail to see the projector that is tucked away in the back. If we didn’t know any better, we would think that the movie is actually coming from the screen. But we understand that a movie is just a bunch of tiny pictures “moving” to create the illusion of something that is in motion. Many people have a difficult time becoming spiritual because they are focused more on an illusion as opposed to the real thing.

Enlightenment is about getting real. It is about finding the heaven that is inside of you. It is about reconnecting with the source. What does all this mean? It means that you are the projector. You control the pictures, sound, and special effects of your own movie, your life. And you determine how you want your movie to be seen. Your life is filled with tiny little pictures. Your experiences are nothing more than snapshots of thoughts and intentions that create images. These images move with emotion and action. But we have been programmed to focus on the screen. We are trained to focus on results, to be attached to people, things, and events.

I have many people who ask me about love and relationships. I simply tell them that love is the power of God. Of course, they look at me like I am absolutely crazy. Many of these people don’t really understand love or God. These are people who are looking to fall in love with an illusion, as opposed to the real thing. They want to sit and watch the screen. We see it everyday. They have partners that come and go. They fall in love with success; they fall in love with fame, power, and money. These people are always looking to fall in love with something, because they need that feeling of sustenance and fulfillment in order to be complete.

But this kind of thinking is just an illusion. It is the kind of love that tricks you into believing that other people are generating these feelings inside of you. We have been trained to project our feelings onto others. This programing causes suffering because we are on an endless cycle of love and loss. If we are constantly loving and suffering, then the love is not real. It is just an illusion, a projection of our own thoughts and feelings.

Love is the power of God because it leads you into the heaven that is inside of you. Imagine the feeling of being in love, without being attached to someone. Or having a feeling of bliss without having to accomplish anything. Self-love is powerful; for once you learn to generate all of these feelings inside of you. You will desire nothing. This is the kind of love that has sustenance. This is the kind of love that will make you feel whole and complete. This is true love. This is the love of God!