June 30, 2014
Creating gods
It’s interesting that we seldom question one
another’s reference point when we talk about God. We don’t pin each other down
with the qualifier that we are talking about “the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob.” Similar to casting a god out of metal, people today cast their god out
of the phrase “higher power.” This generic, one-size-fits-all concept allows
people to mentally shape their own, all inclusive god. It strikes me that one
reason for such anger toward Jesus is that people can create their own god, but
they are unable to create their own Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way and
the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”
(Jn 14:6 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----I take it that we are supposed to go along with whatever anybody proposes about God. Most everyone knows the devil is in the details. I don’t think the cognitive bell has rung as loudly for God’s details. Maybe we even try to muffle that bell a little, because we want some respect for a few details of our own, even though things get pinned down by their own details.
-----God did not give us all His pertinent details. But His Word clearly presents enough of them for any honest person to desire righteousness, understand that He is real, and surrender to Him. It takes the obfuscation of details to feign righteousness, perceive self, and embody these into some god-icon. The incentives for avoiding details of the truth are innumerable, but the reason is usually one: since God is in the details, then so must be submission. That just can’t be when life’s goal is to force as much as possible to surrender to you. By avoiding details we even try to make the truth surrender.
-----One of many things I love about God is that His created details do not surrender to anybody‘s self. They are sprinkled throughout reality like stars in the sky. And the constellations they form are as certainly identifiable and unmovable as those of the sky. Although they call upon imagination to paint their imagery and personalize their meaning, delivery of their truth relies upon our painting inside the lines they draw and our personalizing the meanings they state. Only those who truly want to know God seek His details, paint inside their lines, and ponder His meanings.
-----Everyone else shapes a god out of their own selves, expressing it in an idea devoid of all detail except one truth. I love the way you put it. But lo! That single detail of “higher power” is even the truth. Let’s list just a few things of lower power than their higher power. Pond scum comes quickly to mind. Toads, weasels, and gnats also have a certain power of their own, but less than the “higher power” acknowledged by those fleeing from God. That’ll do. And so they have fashioned for themselves gods of truly higher powers. But the truth yet in that one detail is that they’ve failed to fashion a darned thing out of the highest power. That one is God’s detail.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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