Oneness and Reason
In a sermon that aired on local television while I was on a trip to Arkansas, an evangelist described Heaven as a place that is “paved with gold,” where the weather is always fair, there is no illness and pain, and we’re always with God. While I can understand the appeal of hurricane free weather and freedom from pain and disease, I’m wondering whether those pothole free, gold-paved streets would “seal the deal” to make you want to make heaven your “eternal home?”
Better yet, I wonder do people who contend that God is NOT who we are, ever stop to consider how the logic of this particular way of thinking eventually breaks down? Most likely they’re concerned with how or where my position breaks down.
The ALLness of God is a concept that has been around for quite some time, as expressed in three phrases that are understood to describe God’s nature. Let’s examine them.
God is omniscient.
The word omniscient means “having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight.” Most evangelists I’ve heard tell their followers that you can have no “secrets” from God. This makes sense if, as they also say, we are made in God’s likeness. To me this means that we are God-like beings; we do not possess “all knowingness,” but we do possess the ability to know all through the expansion of our consciousness. In addition, we have the ability to know all that is relevant to us now because, like God, we are a universe; a whole unto our self.
In spite of this wholeness, and in spite of the fact that they will call us God’s children, most evangelists contend that we are NOT Gods, or even aspects thereof. Instead, they will say we are mortal and weak, “but He is strong;” and that we were born in “sin,” a spiritual stigmata that is virtually impossible to wash away. Yet, instead of the dogma of sin, reason would suggest that we are actually born in and of divinity. Our blood, is HG+, the immortal Spirit of God, which some have termed, the “Holy Ghost.”
Therefore, that which is divine is already immortal. I’m referring to “You” and “Me,” the Consciousness/Spirit; not our physical bodies. Our connection to God is through the energy of our Spirit, which is divine and immortal, and doesn’t have to fulfill some other condition or criteria in order to gain “extensions” to life.
God is omnipresent.
Omnipresent means, “present in all places, at all times.” In other words, being everywhere, at once. Omnipresence would, by definition, include places where matter exists (the seeable), as well as those that are filled with space (the unseeable). Given that we occupy a locale within a space/time continuum (our personal and collective reality), it appears that we exist “within” God, as God likewise exists within us.
Since God is omniscient, it is reasonable to deduce that God’s consciousness and beingness naturally “intersects” with our own, at all times, in all places, dimensions, and points where we may actually “be”.
God is omnipotent.
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (www.m-w.com) defines omnipotent as, “having virtually unlimited authority or influence.” Including the word “virtually” renders this definition not quite correct. Derived from Latin, the word Omni means ALL, not “nearly all,” which the word virtually implies. The short meaning of omnipotent would therefore be, “all-powerful.” As Aspects and likenesses of God that exist in, and are always connected thereto, power would be a natural part of our nature, as would a measure of limited unlimitedness, while we express ourselves in physical and even multidimensional form.
These definitions and other widely accepted descriptors of God only make sense when we view God as an Inclusive ALLness, rather than an insecure, fault-finding, exclusive Creator that needs blind, obedient, and incessant adoration and reassurance from us in order to curry His favor. The former makes sense. The latter, I don’t buy.
Embracing an ALL-inclusive God model would further suggest that we don’t have to be in Heaven to be with God, and that we can create our own image of Heaven right here on earth. It has certainly been done. We can be comfortable in the fact that we already are immortal beings. We can tithe to the church or denomination of our choice guilt free, if we so choose, because of the benefits that said church brings to our community, not because that is the only way to our “salvation.” We can also put things in perspective and make sure that our love is reaching us even as we extend it to ever-increasing circles of others. That is a much different motivation than being fearful that God won’t love and accept us if we don’t “pay up” regularly and keep the church doors open. Yet, we are free to buy that line of reasoning, until it doesn’t “work” for us anymore.
Many thanks for your heartfelt thoughts Tomas, and I appreciate and respect where you’re coming from.
I will say that your first impression, that it is the sharing of love, is correct. Your interpretation of my sharing as a proposal to crown ourselves is in fact, a proposal to include ourselves in the love that we share. Such loving also means to forgive ourselves for the negative judgments that we hold, not only against others, but against ourselves.
I’m sorry if that causes you any discomfort. I anticipated that it might, for it took quite a bit of searching within myself to be willing to embrace the concept. We cannot be “in” the Consciousness of Christ if our love doesn’t include US. To be “in” Christ Consciousness is to be one with God. How can we do that if we are in fear? The only way is through love… and by being loving, completely, fully, and totally. This can be a tall order when we’re grown so accustomed to judging someone or some thing as “bad”… or evil, or believing such traits are within ourselves. Some people then externalize these beliefs in their actions and become “proofs of concept” for others.
The only “sin” that I can perceive is in not loving self, for our love for others will be incomplete, and untransformative.
My last paragraph seems to take a swipe at organized religion, but it is only to put it in context. Christ said “on this rock I will be my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The rock must be love. And love will prevail wherever you are, if you are IN IT. If you are in the church, and not in Love, then all hell will break out, within YOU. It doesn’t matter what the edifice is. It matters what YOU embrace. If it isn’t love, then something important is missing.
While many people are in the hospital, I would hardly equate having a physical lifetime with being hospitalized, unless one thinks their purpose is to be sick. Indeed, many people do experience sickness as part of their earth journey, and for them it may indeed be by design. But sickness would have to be a universal experience that I am at peace with for me to conclude that it was our purpose. I also realize that you referred to the hospital as a metaphor. I’d suggest that our current walk in life, no matter who we are, is to awaken to who we are. Love is the way, as expressed toward others, AND toward self.
Indeed I’ve had a wonderful year. The Spirit of Christmas doesn’t have to be a seasonal thing. It can be each moment of each day. Best wishes to you… each moment of each day.
Dear Adam,
Your insights attract, but I’m sorry, the post alerts. The article ” Thoughts on God: The ‘Omni’ Nature” inspires a desire of resistance because it looks not as the sharing of the love to all but as proposal to crown ourselves. That’s bad for sure in spite of all you say sound as the truth.
In my mind, such situation happens because of the offering to jump over the time, to fit the features that are only to be our in case we will continue to live with Christ and will persevere in Him till end.
Have a look, we can rejoice at a mastery of a dancer, for example. However, it is just his possibilities in case he is in a hospital. I understand our current walk as a staying in a hospital of the life. We were lost in our sin but are redeemed in Christ and will be with him in case we will persevere.
I hope you had a good Christmas and I hearty wish you the best New Year.