Thanks for a thoughtful and considered response Joe.

"I think that's what seriously spiritual people seek - some ultimately good essence that underlies and unifies everything. But essences are elusive - and undefinable."

This is interesting. Does this essence have to be sentient or endowed with the powers supposedly attriubted to God? For my part, I wonder if there was a unifying essence in the universe it would probably be utterly indifferent rather than 'good' or 'evil', as nature itself is.