God is No Laughing Matter: Observations and Objections on the Spiritual Path

Julia Cameron's no nonsense style and shared wisdom on the connection between art and the divine. This is a real woman with her own share of life's ups and downs. Not some guru mystic in the popcorn style spirituality of certain areas of New Age. Forget Marianne Williamson and all the slick over-polished LA style gurus and their mantras. Turn inward and hear what down-to-earth folks like Cameron have to say. Rather this is Cameron's perspective on what the Divine is and is not. And what it is ... is hard work. She likens the method at which lost souls pick up and abandon deep spiritual paths in a matter of months ... as a form of shopping for God. A very refreshing take on how God is a serious force to be reckoned with... and that there are no short cuts to being in the consciousness of spirit. Easy to read but deep and provoking as usual, vintage Julia Cameron.

From this book to the follow-up PRAYERS FROM A NONBELIEVER: a story of faith, you can read through out the development of Ms. Cameron's faith/spiritual and influence on her work/writing journey. Every book she writes is a journey of the Path. You don't have to be a believer nor a doubter. Each both speaks from her heart to yours. Try reading these two and you will broaden your horizons.

Finally, someone has put into words what I've always felt about God...and until now, felt secretely ashamed. Ms. Cameron reminds us that God can't be all that Very Serious (if you look at the octopus and the "baboons, with their bright red butts.") Her irreverent but sincere take on spirituality is a breath of fresh air that I really needed. So what if we don't pray the exactly correct words and couldn't win an open-book game of bible trivial pursuit? Do we believe what we believe because we truly believe it, or because that's what Sister Very Nasty drilled into us in school? Ms. Cameron urges us to let our religious hair down and stop berating ourselves for not being "spiritual" enough. Her message is clear; one's relationship with his/her creator should be warm, accessible, comforting and a two-way street...rather than one based in fear, guilt and overly-solemn discipline.

What a relief from the old axioms that God is a "sour puss" just waiting for us to sin so He can punish us. Julia's way of explaining God is refreshing, uplifting, and at times even laugh out loud funny.One of my favorites is in the chapter "God's Will", where she talks about God baking a lemon pie as we sit eating a lettuce leaf. I won't say more because it would take away from the impact of reading it. I thought of myself in that situation and decided that God is baking chocolate chip cookies (my favorite) and from here on, I'm going to savor every single cookie and not feel the least bit of guilt. Reading the book will explain what I'm saying.I'm sure there are those who would think her a heretic or worse, but I believe she makes God REAL and approachable, and I give her kudos. We need more reading like this.

Ms. Cameron gives an excellent introduction to this book when she says, "You may not find this book you hold in your hands very spiritual -- but you'll probably find it spirited." She has tried to make the book "hardheaded, softhearted, and playful." For example, in one section she wonders if God likes to cha-cha. Some may find her approach irreverent, but I found it informal rather in a way that will make spirituality more accessible to those who spirits are already burdened. For me, the book was very successful and expanded my spiritual awareness.The book is organized into a series of brief essays, sometimes combined with excellent poems, and followed with experiments, exercises and/or explorations. Each of these sections could have easily been expanded into a whole book. So there is enough material here to keep you spiritually engaged for years. I did a number of exercises and found them to be both helpful and inspiring. Many of these exercises provide ways to recapture your spirituality by better connecting to what is going on around you. As she points out, since we have left rural living, we have become disconnected from nature . . . which normally serves to keep us spiritually grounded.Ms. Cameron has been through some pain in her life, which she shares openly. She often disputed what her teachers had to say in parochial school, and spent lots of time in the principal's office as a result. At 29, she was divorced. Now, she is a sober alcoholic. So her advice to lighten up comes from someone who knows the heavier sides of life quite well.To me, the best part of the book is the magnificence of a single summary phrase that she embeds in every essay . . . that totally encompasses the essay. For example, she likens coming closer to God in "Blind Date" to having to "suit up and show up" as you would to start off a blind date. In "Higher Companions" she introduces you to "believing mirrors." In "Kindness" she tells you that "good is present and active." In "Dope-Dealer God" you are encouraged to "ask for some help." "Family" is expressed as "I believe in helping hands." "Faith" is "oversold" because "Saints commit." In "Parent Bashing" she points out that "Honoring our lineage honors ourselves." I wrote down one or two such phrases from each essay, and will keep them with me to remind me how to rekindle my spirituality. These phrases are great gifts within a great book.The book is neatly summarized in her final poem, "Roots and Wings." She asserts that all of our various spiritual practices have more in common than we realize. "The listening heart is home.If you take that word apart,You'll find it's built on 'om.'"(The "om" reference is to the sound that many use during meditation in Eastern methods of connecting to God.)"We -- each of us -- are travelingOur own way back home,We are all unravelingThe mystery of 'om.'"I especially enjoyed this book for exposing many of my assumptions about God and spirituality that I had nev