Sep 01, 2016

 

Five Fallacies About God (3)

1. God Needs something (3)

1. God needs our adoration

 

One of the first needs that we place on God is that God needs our adoration. Certainly the Judaic-Christian-Muslim religion, which make up about 1/3 of the world’s population, teach very firmly that we must adore God in order to gain the approval of God. It is taught that if we fail to adore God, really bad things would happen to us. Not only must we adore God, but we must adore God in a certain manner in order to meet the approval of God. Of course, the manner of our adoration varies from group to group, amounting to hundreds of varying methods of adoration and timing, each of it’s adherents claiming to be the only way that we can meet the approval of God.

 

Now I am not saying that adoring the infinite power of God, or at least praying to that power, is bad. I spend 30—60 minutes a day talking to God. Is it adoration? Not usually, but a period wherein I seek consul and clarity in life. But I certainly recognize the infinite power of that infinite being I am talking with, and usually God responds in a thoughtful manner, giving me guidance and clarity to my thoughts.

 

I have noticed that Jesus did not waste time adoring God, but in several instances he is seen talking with God and/or God talking with him. Yet we are taught quite firmly that we should abase ourselves before God, as we are not worthy to just converse with God, let alone have God talk with us. Instead, we have to let others who are deemed more worthy, our priests and ministers, be the ones to talk to God directly and of course they are the only ones that God deigns to talk to and relay the messages to us – usually with undertones that we have to listen to them, as they are special in the eyes of God – so they say.

 

Now I recognize that many priests and ministers have many good things to say, and I listen carefully to those who truly strive to listen to God and serve the people of God. but I have learned that God listens to me directly, and if I seek, will ‘talk’ to me, usually through feelings and inner convictions, and suggest several alternatives, but the final choices are mine to determine.

 

2. We are not Worthy of the Love of God

 

Most of our religions work diligently to convince us that we are not worthy of God’s love, and only by doing certain rituals or ways can we be considered, maybe, worthy to be noticed by God as the ‘lost sheep’. Oh, we mouth the words that God loves us, but we do not believe it to be true; it is too good to be true, just look at the condition of the world, we are sinners and beneath the notice of God, etc. etc.

 

So what happened to the words of Jesus: “The Kingdom of God lies within you”? If we are not worthy, how can the Kingdom of God lie within us? Jesus put no conditions on that phrase: we do not have to be in any way, not ‘baptized’, not a member of a church, no ‘justified’; just be human: “The Kingdom of God lies within you”.

 

What more could we ask? If the Kingdom of God lies within me, God and I are one, and nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate me from that Kingdom. Jesus did not say that the Kingdom of God is only if we are somehow justified, or only if we do this or that — no, “nor will people say ‘Here it is’ or ‘There it is’, for the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21, (KJ)).

 

And let us not forget Genesis 1:26: “God created humanity in the image of God, in the image of God, God created humanity, male and female God created them.” How can we be not worthy of the Love of God if we are the image of God? No caveats, no ifs or buts, just because!

 

How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God!

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house;

You give them drink from your river of delights.

For within you is the fountain of life;

In your light we see light.

                                      Psalm 36: 7-9 (NIV)

 

Meditation

 

My Beloved, my Lover, I bow in gratitude before you, resting my restless spirit in the fountain of Your delight. I ask but to rest here, finding the solace of ages in the Peace of Your Being. I find my home in Your midst, and I find Your midst everywhere I turn, if I but have eyes to see. Your Being fills my life, and I have been blind to the wonders You parade before me; but now I have eyes to see and I look in wonder at all I behold. The beauty of the world You offer us; the beauty of the souls that You give to me to behold, the beauty and joy of life among the wonders of the cosmos that we dwell within; what wonders I see. My breath is taken in joy and happiness by all that You give to us for our happiness. My gratitude fills all I am.

 

Thank You!

 

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These five themes are taken from Conversation with God series of books, but the process discussed is a compilation of many sources and my processing of those sources.