THE GOD PARADOX

There are many ways to describe God, none of which are in themselves adequate or come close to a definitive description.  Christians, for the most part, are all over the place when trying to define God.  I tend to equate the term God with the scientific Theory of Everything; as yet, an incomprehensible force  and process which resulted in us and the universe we live in.   In past posts, I have described God as a Verb, Light, and Love.  As such, these terms seem more comprehensible or at least relatable as some form of activity rather than a paradox. 

We humans have trouble relating to the concept of a paradox; that contradiction of terms or statements regarding their being simultaneously true.  As such, I understand God as the ultimate paradox.   Consider the following statement from Psalm 139:12,"Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."   If darkness and light are alike, does that mean God doesn't care or is there something more mysterious going on?  

Consider the claim, "God is good."  The contradiction to God is good is that God is evil.  Consider how God comes across in dealing with Job or the Egyptians in Exodus and any number of small Canaanite kingdoms where God is depicted as demanding the Israelites to engage in complete genocidal warfare.      

Darkness and light in bible-talk are interchangeable with good and evil.  With that in mind Psalm 139:12 can be paraphrased as, "Yes, that which is evil cannot hide from you; evil is as illuminated as good to you; in that, evil and good are both counterparts of each other to you."   So much for the theodicy argument.  

Paradox as God's modis operandi can be unsettling to those who wish to see their idea of God as strictly being on the good/love side of the proverbial coin. The counterpart to love in scripture is fear which results in hate.  Love accepts and embraces, fear avoids or fights; as such, we can find both love and fear operative when it comes to depicting God's activity in scripture. 

The irony is that when God does something considered evil by us,  God's evil action is always considered good because God is not accountable to any higher power, as God is the highest power.  Should we commit an evil that God would entertain, we would not only be accountable to whatever justice system we live under but also to God.  The fear of God is not only the beginning of wisdom but also the bedrock of any justice system.  "May God have mercy on our souls."

* * *

Pushing moral arguments aside for the moment, good and evil are always at work when it comes to creative processes.  For example, there are many reasons that could be attributed to most humans being afraid of change.  Change always involves, at some level, a deconstructive process in order to create something new.  Sculptors chip away at stone or wood.  Food requires the destruction of animal or plant life.  For the human these are good things, but for the tree, the mountain, the animal and the plant, if they were cognizant in the way we are, such events would be considered evil.  

If one doesn't like change, the following line from Revelations 21:5 has to send shivers up one's spine, "Behold, I make all things new."  To make all things new means the destruction and elimination of all things old.  On the other hand, if one considers making all things new a good thing, it necessitates in engaging in what some would consider an evil; as in, the destruction of the comfortable or familiar.  This could explain why Episcopalians and other traditionalist denominations take issue with the Book of Revelation as they would prefer a God who "changes not" (Malachi 3:6), as opposed to a God who makes all things new.

* * *

If paradox is accepted as alike by God, is God capricious or hypocritical?    Thus we are back to entertaining the theodicy question.  Paradox does not involve capricious or hypocritical behavior.  God or the universe's approach to paradox is one of equanimity.  God is morally equanimous.  The difficulty for us mere mortals is that we are not.  We struggle with paradox, just as we struggle with morality because we not naturally equanimous beings; in that, we differentiate good from evil, this from that, and differentiation is the cause of much of our human suffering.

Take for instance, Jesus warning in Matthew 7:1-2, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged."  Judging is what we do.  We discriminate.  We discern.  We seek difference so that we can identify same until sameness bores us and we seek difference.  In this sense humans are not equanimous.  It is far easier to forgive than it is to avoid judging other.  Forgiveness is a response to judgment.   In fact, there are those who would withhold forgiveness unless one would except the judgement of whoever might offer such forgiveness. This is the human conundrum:  We are doomed to judge and, according to Jesus, in judging others we are doomed to be judged.   Thus, we become the arbiters of our fate.

* * *

Seeking equanimity is part of many contemplative and meditative practices.  Very few, if any, have ever reached the paradoxical equanimity by which the universe (God) operates.    There is much violence and creativity in the universe.  We can witness with our own eyes (via telescopes) the destruction and creation of stars, solar systems and galaxies, which often result in new forms of existence.  What we are will be no more.  What our death (destruction) will give birth to is consigned to God's, the universe's, creativity.  Death and life is a paradoxical construct. We begin dying the second we are born.

Norm

 

IN A TIME OF REFLECTION

I am nearing four months since leaving church.  I would be less than honest in saying that I don't miss it at times.  What I miss most is the people in the congregation and, of course, playing the organ.  Some in the congregation know why my wife and I left but others do not or have not heard the full reason for leaving from me.   Few have directly asked for a reason which leads me to believe they have come to their own conclusions.  

My intent on not giving reasons was twofold.  The first was to avoid getting into a battle about or with the priest which would do a fragile congregation little good.  The second reason is related to the first reason, I no longer felt I could honestly worship in the prescribed manner of its liturgy, which I feel portrays Jesus wrongly and tries to define the indefinable creative force referred to as God in outdated language as many mainline denominations do.  

As some of you may have noticed, I have taken a break from posting.  I tried several times, but I found myself deleting what I wrote.  It didn't feel right, because I wasn't feeling right.  I admit that I struggle with having left a church I served as a lay preacher, worship leader, and organist for almost 30 years and no longer being a part of a congregation of peculiar people to which most Episcopal churches lay claim.  I liked its peculiarity because I felt at home with peculiarity but there was a part of me that urged me to let go and take time to reflect on my life and life in general.   

My wife and I still consider ourselves Episcopalian and we continue to attend services at home by watching the services at Washington National Cathedral on YouTube and occasionally I watch services at Trinity Wall Street in NYC.  I feel more at home within those contexts than I do in the local Episcopal church.  In those larger churches there is sense of open-mindedness with regard to scriptural interpretation, the use of liturgy,  and I feel they both exhibit a truer commitment to the teachings of Jesus than to a strict adherence to the apostolic teachings about Jesus that evolved after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.  

The local priest in my parish and the bishop of the diocese are both concerned about keeping strict adherence to the liturgical forms in the Prayer Book, the church's canons, and its doctrines than emphasizing the teachings of Jesus and their relevance in today's chaotic world   I see such a stringent  approach to doctrine as Christianity's Achille's Heel as they are more about control through indoctrination than taking an opportunity to explore a broader understanding of who we are, not only in the light of ancient scriptures, but more importantly in the light of our increasing knowledge of the universe and the role we humans play in creating the chaos that has the potential to destroy ourselves and the world we live in.  

* * *

I am sure that many of you have heard about or have listened to Bishop Mariann Budde's sermon at the National Cathedral during its National Prayer Service after President Trump's inauguration in which she directly addressed President Trump regarding the fears brought about by his administration's agenda regarding immigrants, LGBTQI individuals and asking that he show mercy on them and on all people feeling disenfranchised and fearful.   I was not surprised by her doing so and it gladdened my heart that she did.   The National Prayer service included clergy from Native American, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh, African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist, Mormon, and Presbyterian religions and denominations.  

Bishop Budde was very pastoral in carrying out her prophetic duty in reminding the President of God's Executive Orders as in Rev. (Sen.) Rapheal Warnock put it in his sermon at the cathedral this past Sunday.  The National Prayer Service also served as a reminder of what this nation has long honored by placing  this diverse group of religious leaders on equal footing in an inclusive (DEI) setting which as Rev. Warnock also pointed out that Dei is Latin for God.  

* * *

I try not to watch too much TV.  The national news is depressing.  I do not understand what has happened to the citizens of this nation that has made them so cynical about our nation and the world as to entertain the thought of electing those who have dictatorial aspirations.  There are always things that need adjustment, but adjustments or realignments in a constitutional republic such as ours requires much thought and careful management.  Above all, the apparent reckless disregard for people's lives by the current administration seems to be a recipe for moral decay and disaster on a national and worldwide level.

Now that I'm in my seventies, it seems odd that I should leave things that have been part of my life for most of my life.  I have to confess I don't have a clue as to where this leaving is leading me, if anywhere.  Even my digital piano which I loved playing is not functioning well largely because I probably played it out.  Thus, I don't have that relief from the loss of playing a pipe organ.  It would appear that I need to let that go also.  

What I enjoy is reading and that is what I mostly do.  I am trying to get back into painting, but that is proving to be a slow process as my hands are not as steady as they used to be nor my eyesight as good as it was in my twenties. When the weather permits, I go for walks to get fresh air and take in the world around me. 

In past posts I have talked about the "pauses" in one's life.  I believe this is such a moment for me.  My past experiences with such pauses has taught me that a willingness to let go might result in finding a deeper meaning to life or even a new or a renewed sense of purpose to my life.

Norm

 

AT THE CUSP - A Poem

At The Cusp

                      At the cusp where endings and beginnings meet,

                      at the liminality of the present; where the past and 

                      the future pause ever so briefly, where time seemingly

                      stops at the pivotal point where the dusk of hopes not met

                      and the dawn of hopes yet to be converge, all is peace.

                      In that space look at the night sky between the last

                      minute of the old year and the first minute of the new year

                      to contemplate the absence of that which disturbs and 

                      ponder the absence of that which disrupts.  Consider the vastness                                                                of being before entertaining the anxiety of hope.

                      Norm Wright,

                      January 18, 2025