TUESDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS - DECEMBER 22, 2020

 TUESDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS - DECEMBER 22, 2020

I’ve been going spiritual this week.  (Bear with me - or come back next week)

Yesterday we had Isaiah 9: 6-7

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders.     And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”

Today, Isaiah 55:8-9

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

My thoughts are not your thoughts!!  I am finite, God is infinite.  I am bound by space and time; God is not bound by space and time.  

I keep trying (and I suppose I will keep trying) to wrap my brain about an infinite God.  Now whether you take Genesis 1 as authentic (and I’m ambivalent) - it says (basically) God had an idea, spoke the idea out-loud - and voila - it happened.  

Let’s stop for a second.

Stars  - about 1 billion trillion or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.  Let’s put God as a person with a huge bag of materials.  If he (or she or it or “the Force”) takes one second to make a star, that still will be a long time.  (But, if God is timeless what does that matter?) But to say “Let there be stars” takes a second - and there is an abundance of stars.  When dealing with an infinite university, and an infinite God, and trying to understand as a finite human, I guess I throw my hands up and say “I don’t know HOW you did it, that is create everything, but WOW - you did do it!!!  (Data about the number of stars from the Internet)

*****

Basically, my thought for today is that we (God and humans) are not on an equal playing field.  He/she/it can say <something> and it happens, and I can’t.  

So, what does this mean to me?

“Hey Karen, don’t get so worked up about how I did it, or about how different I am, because you will NEVER understand (or you won’t understand until you die) - I did it (created everything) and what I didn’t really ‘create’ (like computers and the internet), I gave man the ability to think things through!!!”.  

I responded, “Okay God, I have to trust you on this.”

Let’s go one long step in that direction.  If there is this infinite God who created everything - and for all that I know is still creating (but that implies time - and I don’t think God worries about time).

So, does such an infinite God interact with me (us?)  

My view is yes - His ways are not my ways.  Can an infinite God answer every person's thoughts and prayers at the same time?  If He wants to!!  Does God have to answer my prayers?  I don’t know - He is the infinite one.  Is there a rule book for God? (What a stupid question) Who would write a rule book for God?  

I “think” [KNOW] He has answered some [MANY] of my prayers.  Is that based on some crazy faith?  Maybe!!  But, there is so much I don’t (and can’t) understand because God’s ways are not my ways!!!

And, although this has been serious today, how about some humor.

Why doesn’t God have a Ph.D.?

Anonymous

1. He had only one major publication.

2. It was in Hebrew.

3. It had no references.

4. It wasn't published in a refereed journal.

5. Some even doubt he wrote it by himself.

6. It may be true that he created the world, but what has he done since then?

7. His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.

8. The scientific community has had a hard time replicating his results.

9. He never applied to the ethics board for permission to use human subjects.

10. When one experiment went awry he tried to cover it by drowning his subjects.

11. When subjects didn't behave as predicted, he deleted them from the sample.

12. He rarely came to class, just told students to read the book.

13. Some say he had his son teach the class.

14. He expelled his first two students for learning.

15. Although there were only 10 requirements, most of his students failed his tests.

16. His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountain top.

17. No record of working well with colleagues.

*****

So, how do you view God?  As some authoritarian figure “up there” with lightning and thunder - ready to judge and condemn?  As a loving and merciful being that wants us to also be loving and merciful?  As a non-entity - who did something once and now is beyond us and doesn’t really care?  As a childhood illusion - like Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny?

Sorry to be too deep.  Two more days of spiritual philosophy then a lighter Christmas blog!!  

LOVE WINS!!!

Hugs!!!

Karen