What is God Like?

 

I have struggled with the idea of panentheism, that God is in all things (not to be confused with pantheism, that all is god).  Richard Rohr, and others I have recently read speak about how God permeates his creation, that it is alive with God’s energy and ongoing creative power.  I suspect that I have felt resistant to this for possibly the same reason I have pushed back at those who like to refer to God as gender plural, or maybe I should say, fluid. God does sometimes resemble, and refer to him / her / their(?) self as a father, sometimes a mother.  After all, if the future of the church, made up of people, is neither male nor female, why should we limit God?

 

I think my problem is that I have been making God in my own image.  I think of him as a super “man”.  I only know of humans as the highest form of being, so he must be like a human, only better. 

 

This is not my problem alone but seems to be a universal problem of man.  We see it in the nascent nation of Israel, after experiencing a miraculous Exodus, considering their God as the strongest creature they knew, a bull, (in its young form, maybe since it was a new god?).

 

The writers of the Bible frequently describe God in anthropomorphic ways, attributing him with eyes, ears, arms, hands, etc.  And of course, God himself became man, because we just couldn’t relate to God as spirit, without a body. 

 

Have we moved beyond that?  Can we now relate to God without thinking of him as superhuman?  In general, I think not. We need the image of Jesus.  But I think that, at times, we may be able to transcend that and catch glimpses of a God who is beyond comprehension in human form.

 

Nature, or more expansively, all creation reveals God.  (I think the concept of panentheism is helpful here.) Reading Mary Oliver’s nature poems, watching my garden grow, observing the wildlife, hearing the rain and the wind, playing with my grandson, all reveal something about God, something that transcends the restrictive image of the superhuman manlike god up in the clouds.  I think it was Jürgen Moltmann who suggested (at least it is a concept my memory ascribes to him) creation is a theophany of the Holy Spirit.  When we see leaves on a plant stretching, growing, and even moving throughout the day to maximize their exposure to the sun, or we see birds flocking and migrating seasonally, we see the spirit of the living Creator energizing them.  In Colossians, it says, “in him, all things hold together”.

 

I think my (big E) Evangelical baggage and its wariness of the New Age movement and other “pagan” spiritual approaches, such as Buddism, Native American spiritism, etc., has hardened me against seeing God as Spirit.  The focus on Christ Alone, which has merit, has unfortunately tended to sound like Christ as man alone.  All truth is God’s truth, no matter who discovers or teaches it. I need to be open to the idea that those outside of narrow understanding of God might have some truth that is worth considering and incorporating into my faith structure.  

 

Maybe seeing God more as a spirit that permeates all of creation is part of that.  If true, what does that then mean?  How do I respond to that in practicality?  Not only should it influence how I interact with people, but how I also interact with creation.  Maybe St. Francis had the right idea after all!

 

Thoughts from Athens

10/17/24

 Blogging

I like to write down my thoughts.  It used to be called journaling, but now seems to be called blogging, at least, that is, if you want to share your thoughts.

When I looked up “journaling” in Google, I found:

Journaling is the practice of writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a designated space, like a notebook or digital platform. It's a form of self-reflection that can enhance self-awareness, help manage emotions, and improve overall mental well-being.

I also found on Google that “blogging” is:

…the process of creating blog posts and publishing them on a website. The website can be owned by an individual or a company, and the posted content can be articles, photos or other digital media. Blogging often involves sharing long-form articles on a specific subject. Most blogs have a target audience, and bloggers often choose topics that interest their target audience. …

So, it seems, journaling is about self-reflection, while blogging is focused on others, motivated by either self-interest, such as gaining revenue or influence, or maybe just seeking community.  

There seems to be at least some trace of narcissism in the blogging process; “Others need to read what I am thinking!”  Or maybe, “I want my thoughts to last, to be out there, to affect others (because they are so important)!”

Does my desire to blog, to get my thoughts out there come from narcissistic pride?  Or can there be something altruistic tied in there as well!  Jesus assumed we would love ourselves when he said we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  Where is the balance?

Jesus told stories that were retold by others, and were eventually gathered into print.  He told his followers to be witnesses, which not only tells the story, but also recounts the influence the story had.  We read Paul’s letters (blogs?) that were intended to be read and passed around to others (no internet at that time!). In his letters, Paul wrestled with how to apply the teachings of Jesus to specific cultural settings.  Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, James and others did the same.

The biblical authors may not have had any idea that 2000 years later people would still be reading their thoughts. Yet, they felt the need, the urgency to share their thoughts with people in their own time.  Were they driven by at least a little narcissism? They were, after all, human!  (Paul’s sometimes sounds a bit prideful, even though he denies it!)

I guess I am trying to justify my desire to blog. 

As a university professor and physician I was actually paid to process information and share my thoughts with others, person to person, live in class, via videos and in print!  I have had a lifetime of positive reinforcement for sharing what I have learned through my own study and practical experience.  That has been personally fulfilling, especially when I get positive feedback from students and patients, and see them living out what I taught.  

Now that I am retired, finding a bit more time on my hands, I have been reading more and listening to podcasts, which leads me to ponder the content in light of my personal experience.  That process includes “journaling”.  I still have the urge to teach so why not share my thoughts in a blog?  It might be of value to someone other than me.  And if not, no worries!  

So, as I blog, I plan at least 4 streams of thought:

1)        Reposting, hopefully in a more manageable format, Thoughts from Honduras, our communications with family and friends while we were missionaries in Honduras.

2)        Continuing thoughts from my faith journey as I have “deconstructed and reconstructed” (I didn’t know that was what it was called at the beginning) posted at Faith Reconsidered.

3)        Thoughts from Athens, written during my time as a physician and university professor from 2006-2025, when I retired.  

4)        Ruminations from Retirement, from 2025 on, probably focusing on being a grandparent, and other themes related to aging and “the Golden Years”! I may explore my experience with Parkinson’s disease, and changing perspectives on life.

 

I’ll post this in all 4 of these streams, and go from there!

I’m happy to dialogue one on one or in the blog stream.

Dave Drozek