About Me
My name is Michael Read, and my journey has been shaped by both tragedy and resilience. When I was 16 years old, I was paralyzed from the chest down in a devastating car accident. That was 21 years ago, and living with a spinal cord injury has brought me challenges I could never have imagined. Yet, through the pain and suffering, one constant has carried me forward: my spirituality. It became the anchor that helped me persevere and find meaning in life when circumstances could have easily left me in despair.
Growing Up
My spiritual path began when I was 11, growing up in a Pentecostal church. As a Christian, I had many powerful experiences with God and developed a deep relationship with the divine. For over 15 years I lived the Christian life, studying the Bible intensely and believing it to be infallible. But over time, I began to see that both the Bible and Christianity were not the ultimate truth I had been taught they were. In 2015, I graduated from Christianity, realizing that God was far bigger than any book, belief system, or single religion. That realization opened the door for me to seek a broader, more universal understanding of spirituality.
My Mission
Out of that search, The Simple Revelation was born. Unlike religions that begin with one person claiming a special revelation from God, this is the opposite. The Simple Revelation isn’t based off of any one person’s calling or experience. The simple revelation is based off of observations from the collective human experience of spirituality.
The Simple Revelation isn’t about me being a prophet, a guru, or someone with secret knowledge. It’s about acknowledging the truths we already carry within us: that everyone has equal access to God, that no mediator is required, and that no one is more special than anyone else.
I share this message here not to give people something new, but to remind them of what they already know—that at our core, we are connected to love, hope, and joy.
I made this website and I’m writing these blog posts to inspire myself and others to see the people around us with a little more empathy, to face circumstances and challenges with a little more optimism, and to fully embrace life knowing that God is for us and not against us.
If you would like to read more about me and my story, Read my blog post - From Tragedy to Transformation: My Journey Beyond Religion
My Dream
For as long as I can remember, it has been my dream to visit Japan—the culture, the beauty, and the history have always captured my heart. Unfortunately, my spinal cord injury has made this dream incredibly difficult and costly to pursue. Traveling in my condition requires not only specialized arrangements but also the support of two nurses who can accompany me as caregivers throughout the trip. That’s why I have started a GoFundMe—to make this lifelong dream a reality. Your support, whether through a donation or by sharing my story, would mean the world to me. With your help, I can finally experience Japan and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Web Design
Alongside sharing The Simple Revelation, I freelance as a web designer. The income I earn from building websites helps cover essentials for my disability—like my wheelchair van payment and other specialized equipment needs—while also helping me work toward my lifelong dream of visiting Japan with the caregivers I need to make the trip possible. If you’d like to support me, one of the best ways is by hiring me to create or improve your business website. Whether you’re launching something new or refreshing an outdated site, I’d love to help build a website that truly works for you. Click the button below to check out my Web Design Portfolio.
