“Watching, watching, watching!” is how my wife describes my demeanor when I am out and about with her. Sometimes she adds sarcastically, “...all the interesting people.” when she suspects I have been appreciating God’s beautiful women type creations. I love watching people and thinking. Today, on my day off we were in the supermarket and I was leaning on the trolly watching people. As shoppers went to and fro I got to thinking, “Here I am a minister amongst all these people, I wonder what they think of “God and/or Religion?” I guessed few cared. Then I asked myself, “Is there really a God, or am I deluded?” I thought that most of these people were probably kind, decent living, responsible people, but where does “God” fit in, and then where does “religion” fit in? They all go about their business as if there is no God, yet I struggle with old hat ways in an old establishment church, because I say I believe in “God”. How would I describe to them what I mean by the statement “I believe in God” and why I am stuck on him and involved in religion, though it all seems irrelevant to most? (My thinking was also sparked by my running friend who yesterday was challenging me about the words in hymns we sing and the style of worship we have.... I felt bad about the way I responded. A program on TV last night which described a monkey/ape creature in the Congo with a matriarchal society, which enjoys sex for fun, which are very much like us, also contributed to the way my brain was thinking today)
I don’t mean...
A man was talking to me the other day and saying, “Those who die without knowing the Lord have no hope.” What he meant is that they are consigned to hell or at the least, are not admitted to heaven when they die. (Thankfully this man’s heart was bigger than his theology) As I looked at all these shoppers, I thought of these words and decided I did not believe in that sort of God or that sort of religion any more.
“I believe in God” is a way of describing what “is” at a deep level.
I got to thinking, as my wife put two loaves of bread in the trolly, that when I say “I believe in God” I am not so much describing a being up in heaven, but rather describing what “is” all about us (even in a supermarket) at a deeper level or dimension. Reality for us is made up of this planet we call earth with all it’s systems. It is a whole lot of species of beings, animals, fish, insects, reptiles and plants, all seeking to survive on this little ball. As part of this there is this self-conscious animal called human beings (homo sapiens) who have elaborate systems of communicating and relating; who are aware of the past and the future; conscious of their own death and aware of consequences; have things we call “feelings” and “emotions” and for some reason name some things “right” and other things “wrong”. They live in groups and societies of various sizes and today more than ever before, are aware that there is the whole global society. What does it mean in all of this dynamic living reality in all its breadth to believe in “God”, where does “he” fit in?
(1) Recognising deep underlying unseen truths in human life.
For me to say I believe in God is to say that as humans relate in this whole system, and to each other, there are some deep underlying “ways of being” that I need to include in my way of seeing the world. To illustrate... there are physical laws of nature that we need to take into account. Generally if I jump off a cliff I will go down... the law of gravity. To live healthy lives we need to take that on board. To believe in God is to say that in the whole social, psychological and inter-connectedness of human life, there are deeper absolutes, laws of being, that I need to be aware of in the same way. My guess is that if I, while leaning on my shopping trolly, were to suffer a heart attack, all these decent shoppers would spring to life. The ambulance control room would be inundated with cell phone calls. Someone would come and make me comfortable. Someone may even try mouth to mouth or CPR if I was bad enough. Some one else would try to comfort my wife. The main trouble I might have is that there would be simply too many people wanting to help... it is a precious part of human nature. They are responding to an inner voice that says, “love your neighbour as yourself” or “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is no accident that nearly every religion known to humankind has some form of this golden rule in their teachings. Here is an underlying absolute, a reality that is a part of what “is” that ought to be heard. Here is what I call, the “voice of God” or “God”. The writer of I John said “God is love”.... and to “know God is to love your neighbour.” To say “I believe in God” is to intentionally remind myself of this deep reality and to commit myself to it. It is an underlying reality of life.... it is not a belief in “a being” stuck in heaven, but in the midst of the supermarket, at a deeper dimension, this underlying reality “is” whether it/he is recognised or not. Implicit in this are other realities that follow. - A forgiving lifestyle is a necessity in human relationships, otherwise all hell breaks loose. (In our marriages, families, friendships, workplaces, nations) - A generous lifestyle is also necessary. Because of all the variables in life, and equality is not assured, generosity and “grace” are the necessary oil that lubricates human society at all levels. -There is a commitment to justice, a fair deal. All these are part of “love” and part of “God”. (God’s mind, will or Kingdom to use religious imagery.)
Another deep truth found in what “is”, is that we are responsible for this world and it’s systems. As we relate in it and to it, we better act responsibly otherwise it, and ultimately life itself suffers. A deep reality is this sense of accountability and stewardship, it is another part of what I mean when I say “I believe in God”. The movement toward sustainability for me is “of God”. As is the deep recognition that we are in solidarity with, inextricably linked to each other, all life and the planet.
So to say “I believe in God” for me is to see and commit to these deeper “absolutes” in the midst of life. In these, “He” calls us to healthy, whole and harmonious living. I am often “pulled up” in my actions, by the deep voice of God calling me to live responsibly, when I am tempted to do otherwise.
(2) An unseen movement or Spirit.
As I read about the history of various parts of Europe on our recent trip there, I got to thinking that often, back then, human life was cheap. Killing people, or letting them die or suffer was not a big issue, people seemed to do it fairly freely, and it was much more an accepted part of life. In spite of continued atrocities, as a human race we have progressed.
There is ongoing progress throughout history toward a more humanitarian lifestyle, and it will continue. The slave trade, racial discrimination, apartheid and gender discrimination are overcome or being overcome. We are becoming more sensitive and “socially aware” as humans. I see this as a result of an unseen life/love-force at work in our midst. In my work I have seen people who act in ways that are repulsive to those about them, make progress and change to being more responsible, more caring, more socially skilled people because they were loved. When I say that “I believe in God”, I am saying that a part of what “is” is this powerful movement or force of love and life that makes a difference in the midst of this world. It is this force that is at work in the people who would rush to my aid if I had that heart attack. It/”he” is in the friendly greetings and the conversations that I see as I stand obediently by the shopping trolley. I overheard a conversation where a man was pouring out his heart about an illness he is suffering and the listener was really hearing his pain and supporting him beautifully. There is “God”. It/he is in the passion of the teachers searching for the best way to help children grow. “He” is like the unseen life force in a plant that will push through tar seal to continue to grow. Again, God is not so much “a being” stuck in heaven pulling strings and demanding obedience, but a powerful “Spirit” bringing life amongst us. The ancient Hebrew word for God’s Spirit meant “breath” or “wind”. He is the life/love-giving breath in human living, and when I say “I believe in him” I commit myself to open my sails or my living to that wind or breath.
Religions
I think that religions are the often mythological way humans have found of trying to highlight and give expression to these deep realities in life. I need to say that they have often become ends in themselves, and blinded people or distorted people’s way of seeing these. As a follower of Jesus, I am saying that for me Jesus gives expression, reveals or helps me to focus on these deep realities.
I hate the distortions in the church. I hate the “religion-for-its-own-sake”, the imperialism and baggage that the church has got into. Trying to find new and relevant expressions of the faith is incredibly hard, partly because my own faith has been nurtured by the old expressions and I read my newer understandings into the old symbols. It is hard to think outside the box, and also lonely. I have often described ministry as trying to push a bulldozer out of a bog. I myself struggle to change and struggle to bring change. But I remain a minister in the church because I still see that a faith expression is needed to highlight these deeper realities. Somehow we need people who keep trying at least to whisper “God” to remind us that there are underlying spiritual truths and a movement or current of life to enjoy, latch on to and be a part of.
All this waffle is my thinking aloud. It may change tomorrow... but today my supermarket musings led me to trying to give expression to and write about to that which is impossible to describe.
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