THE GOD OF MY/YOUR UNDERSTANDING
It is my belief that we tend to "shape" God in our own image of what God is, how God feels, what God wants, and how God sees and judges things.
We are influenced in our shaping by our present spiritual focus, the spiritual focus of our parents or caretakers or significant family members or friends as we have been exposed to growing up and all along the way.
We are influenced by other writers, teachers, thinkers, through lectures, sermons, books and all sorts of media.
Some of us keep on exploring while others are content where they are and do not look beyond to any other possibilities. I belong to the former group but I truly believe that the explorer is no better or more developed spiritually than the one who does not. It is just something, maybe an inclination, one has or is born with while others are not. Same as when someone wants to be a doctor and another person a social worker. We might think one is a higher ambition than the other but each has its function and place.
I have noticed two major types of "God of people's understanding". One is a more rigid, black and white kind where you must do certain rituals or you must believe certain things in order to be right with God - otherwise you are going to hell, lost forever, booted out of God's kingdom and you are absolutely ahering to the wrong philosopy or religion. The other is more flexible and says that the more you are or become the Love that Spirit/God is, none of that matters for you are guided by Divine Love and Love is the first "law" if there are any laws at all. The former is more masculine based and the latter more feminine based. One is more law oriented; the other more love oriented but that is not to say that the former doesn't have loving components or that the latter one does not have laws or rules that are natural and expected. But it appears to me that some people’s personalities are more suited to either the more rigid form or the more flexible form; the more masculine or the more feminine. Now when I say masculine I don’t mean that you just refer to God as “He” or to God as “She” in the case of the feminine. I don’t really see God as having one sex or the other but people find it useful when attempting to communicate the ineffable. Rather as I speak of masculine or feminine here, it is an orientation, a way of viewing all things.
A masculine idea of God is the idea that calls one to adhere to God’s laws and includes the idea that God punishes and commands his subjects. Some of these laws are man-made or man interpreted. Even if the reason for instilling these laws were to help people get in touch with God, the church itself imposes the consequences or punishments or required acts of atonement for breaking the spiritual or moral law.
The God of my understanding is more feminine than masculine and welcomes me home like the prodigal son, prepares the fatted calf, gives me my clothing, embraces me, and doesn't even mention that I have "wronged" him in any way. But my understanding makes me aware of the Love that God is and the spark of God that I am so that I begin to have honor and reverence for the God of my understanding and for myself and all that is rather than being ”God-fearing”. I do believe however, that one most likely needs both the masculine aspects and feminine aspects in order to be more balanced in their spirituality. Perhaps that is why we have both types of understanding.
For every thought and action there is a reaction, a consequence, an outcome regardless of the law or love. These are not punishment or reward from God/Spirit they are just happenings that follow natural law.
Whatever the God of your understanding is, I respect that for I know that my understanding has changed and continues to do so; therefore these understandings are just simply understandings and nothing more. God is beyond that and all attempts we make to pigeon hole him/her.
In any case, Love continues to be the answer.
We are influenced in our shaping by our present spiritual focus, the spiritual focus of our parents or caretakers or significant family members or friends as we have been exposed to growing up and all along the way.
We are influenced by other writers, teachers, thinkers, through lectures, sermons, books and all sorts of media.
Some of us keep on exploring while others are content where they are and do not look beyond to any other possibilities. I belong to the former group but I truly believe that the explorer is no better or more developed spiritually than the one who does not. It is just something, maybe an inclination, one has or is born with while others are not. Same as when someone wants to be a doctor and another person a social worker. We might think one is a higher ambition than the other but each has its function and place.
I have noticed two major types of "God of people's understanding". One is a more rigid, black and white kind where you must do certain rituals or you must believe certain things in order to be right with God - otherwise you are going to hell, lost forever, booted out of God's kingdom and you are absolutely ahering to the wrong philosopy or religion. The other is more flexible and says that the more you are or become the Love that Spirit/God is, none of that matters for you are guided by Divine Love and Love is the first "law" if there are any laws at all. The former is more masculine based and the latter more feminine based. One is more law oriented; the other more love oriented but that is not to say that the former doesn't have loving components or that the latter one does not have laws or rules that are natural and expected. But it appears to me that some people’s personalities are more suited to either the more rigid form or the more flexible form; the more masculine or the more feminine. Now when I say masculine I don’t mean that you just refer to God as “He” or to God as “She” in the case of the feminine. I don’t really see God as having one sex or the other but people find it useful when attempting to communicate the ineffable. Rather as I speak of masculine or feminine here, it is an orientation, a way of viewing all things.
A masculine idea of God is the idea that calls one to adhere to God’s laws and includes the idea that God punishes and commands his subjects. Some of these laws are man-made or man interpreted. Even if the reason for instilling these laws were to help people get in touch with God, the church itself imposes the consequences or punishments or required acts of atonement for breaking the spiritual or moral law.
The God of my understanding is more feminine than masculine and welcomes me home like the prodigal son, prepares the fatted calf, gives me my clothing, embraces me, and doesn't even mention that I have "wronged" him in any way. But my understanding makes me aware of the Love that God is and the spark of God that I am so that I begin to have honor and reverence for the God of my understanding and for myself and all that is rather than being ”God-fearing”. I do believe however, that one most likely needs both the masculine aspects and feminine aspects in order to be more balanced in their spirituality. Perhaps that is why we have both types of understanding.
For every thought and action there is a reaction, a consequence, an outcome regardless of the law or love. These are not punishment or reward from God/Spirit they are just happenings that follow natural law.
Whatever the God of your understanding is, I respect that for I know that my understanding has changed and continues to do so; therefore these understandings are just simply understandings and nothing more. God is beyond that and all attempts we make to pigeon hole him/her.
In any case, Love continues to be the answer.
posted by Brendisima | 8:55 AM
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