It is interesting to note that none of the Old Testament writers referred to God as "Father."  This means that there was no concept of this until Jesus came along and referred to God as "Abba Father."  Jesus came to introduce us to a bigger concept of the God - of God as "divine parent."

It is difficult to see the "Father" in religion because religion is driven mostly by fear.  Although fear is the beginning of wisdom, it is only that . . . the beginning.  We will never enter the Kingdom of God until we progress from fear to love.  The fear of God must graduate into understanding; understanding to reverence; and reverence to awe.  Religion and the Kingdom of God are two different houses.  We have known for many, many years how to act in the house of religion.  But we must now begin to behave as true sons and daughters if we are to live in the house of God's Kingdom.

Religion proclaims a torturing God rather than a teaching God; a punitive God rather than a protective God; a prosecuting God rather than a parenting God. This is what we have been taught and what some of us, in turn, have taught others.  But there is a progression in God.

The law and the prophets led us to John the Baptist.  John the Baptist led us to Jesus. I will never be ashamed of Jesus because, as a Christian, He is my connection to God.  But I cannot say that others, who do not connect through Him, have no connection at all to God. God is in everything. Even Paul said Christ is all and in all.

Just as John the Baptist said, "I must decrease so that He might increase," speaking of Jesus; Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, "I must go away, so that He might come. Jesus came to lead us to a greater truth and a higher consciousness than religion.  He came to lead us to Spirit. And of Spirit, He says this, "And when He comes He will guide you into ALL truth" - notice Jesus did not say into "Christian" truth but ALL truth.  Let us always endeavor to embrace not religion, but Spirit.