I am writing this in the middle of November. We have just returned to Zurich, after a trip to England for our son’s wedding, having spent 17 days in England. I thought that I might get away from “Key Beliefs” and “Fillers” and write on something topical. It is always interesting to see what particular themes the English newspapers have taken up, to report on the daily comings and goings, repeating what has been said before (when there is not much new), together with the usual English comment and speculation, before they lose interest and move on to the next topic.
One of the topics that ran during this time was the “Occupy” protest on the steps of St. Pauls. After visiting a friend near Blackfriars, I took a stroll past St. Pauls in the mid-afternoon. I was only there for about ten minutes, so can hardly claim that my experience was deep and profound, but I did enjoy the carnival atmosphere, watched a dance routine being rehearsed, saw someone practicing his juggling, and watched the free tea and coffee being dispensed at one of the more industrial sized tents (I regret that I did not have time to partake of this offer), together with a noticeboard, showing the more serious matter of lectures, discussions and talks.
The whole affair was lightly policed, in contrast with the (only slightly) more conspicuous police presence on Paternoster Square, the entrance to the Stock Exchange and at least two U.S. Investment Banks, being the symbol of those general activities against which the “Occupy” participants are protesting.
In all this (civilised) protesting, discussions about Health and Safety and the resignations of various St. Pauls’ staff, there was very little said about God. So I searched for some reference to God in all these reports and statements by St. Pauls’ staff, whether resigning or staying, by protesters, other public people, and clergymen, who might have had something to say on this subject. (*1)
Even the Archbishop of Canterbury seemed unable or unwilling to make any connection with this topic and God, although the Archbishop was reported as being in agreement with the proposal for a tax on Banking (*2). I say “seemed”, as the Archbishop of Canterbury might have made such a connection, but the newspapers, being generally bored with the topic of “God”, may simply have failed to report it.
One story from the New Testament that has been used in these discussions is that of Jesus and the money changers in the Temple (*3), although I do not remember what the context was. This was put forward as demonstrating that Jesus would have supported the protest.
I might have understood this point if the protest was against the entrance fee for a visitor to St. Pauls (although I am personally neutral on the subject) and that the Church had made St. Pauls, a place of worship, into a place of commerce. Also, if the stock exchange had set up business there, then the analogy might work. But at the moment, I am struggling to see who exactly the protesters think Jesus would eject from St. Pauls. The people who collect the money from visitors at the door perhaps?
There were other sub-stories, not least of which was that “Health and Safety” was given for closing the church. A very secular reason, the facts of which I found hard to get, but I think that I am right in saying that if you were just a visitor, who had come to look around, then it wasn’t safe. However, if you had come to worship, then it was safe. In a funny sort of religious way, this might make sense.
Overall though, the main point that I am missing is on what basis do the Clergy side with the protesters. There was, as far as I know, no appeal to the Bible or to God. Perhaps the clergy in question are not sure of their spiritual grounds (or perhaps it doesn’t matter anymore). After all one could look pretty stupid these days saying that “This is wrong, because God / the Bible says so”. I couldn’t help feeling that the whole statement from a Church viewpoint could have been more powerful, if God had been brought into the discussion, however unfashionable that might be.
So all in all, a jolly secular affair.
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Note 1 – I have avoided references to “The Church”, as I am not sure who speaks for it.
Note 2 - Guardian website on 2 November, reporting on an article in the Financial Times.
Note 3 – Mentioned in all three Gospels (Mt 21.12; Luke 19.45; Mk 11.15). http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2021&version=NIV
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
An Unseen Gentian
I wrote a blog a few weeks ago, “He is a creating and sharing God”. (11 October) http://colinhawkersother.blogspot.com/2011/10/he-is-creating-and-sharing-god.html
I put forward the idea that God is a creating God. He created all things, including Time, the Universe and everything in it. God created all this as a backdrop or context to Man’s existence. But I also suggested that God could have created and enjoyed the Universe, without it having to serve as a stage for Man’s existence. God can create and enjoy this creation without having any further purpose than the act of creation itself.
Having said all that, both alternatives are completely sensible. My personal starting point originally, was that that the Universe has no purpose in God’s eyes other than to be the context in which His relationship with Man is played out. The Bible is silent on this subject, or at least could probably be used to argue either view.
I had to think hard on whether God enjoys his creation for its own sake. I know the Creation for God was a trivial matter, but it still seems to me to be pretty marvellous.
In June 2003, my Hazel and I, being inexperienced hikers walked over the Julier Pass (2,300 metres / 7,500 feet). The temperature in the valley was 30 degrees, but unknown to us, the pass was still covered in deep snow. We kept going and are still here to tell the story. At the top, was part of a rock, peeking through the snow, with perhaps no more than a few square feet showing.
People generally admire the resilience of nature, but it can still be truly awesome to see something totally unexpected and out of place. In this square metre piece of rock, was a tiny gentian (a small lovely delicate deep blue flower).
But what is the point of this, you ask. It was completely possible that we were the only people to pass this point during that day, and the only people to see the Gentian. The Gentian was a beautiful work of God, and I guess, at that moment, created only for my benefit and that of Hazel. (I tend to be the one who says “Oh look at that pretty flower. Isn’t it amazing? Whatever is it doing here?” and “How long do you think it will survive?” and it is Hazel who knows that it is a Gentian).
Suppose for a moment, that we had not passed by. There would have been no one to enjoy it. I expect that there were thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Gentians blooming, at that moment, with no one to enjoy them (quite sad, really isn’t it).
I am indebted to my friend Richard Reincke for reminding me of the famous poem by Bishop Berkeley, about the tree existing at all times, as God was always there to see it. In the case of the Julier Pass, God would be the only person to see and enjoy all the gentians blossoming on the mountain top. I am prepared to stick my head out here, and assert that God does enjoy his gentians and other parts of Creation that are never seen, and which must make up 99.9999% of creation. Stars and Star systems are born and die, with no one to see them, except God himself.
God would have good reason to enjoy his own creation. It is pretty impressive.
I put forward the idea that God is a creating God. He created all things, including Time, the Universe and everything in it. God created all this as a backdrop or context to Man’s existence. But I also suggested that God could have created and enjoyed the Universe, without it having to serve as a stage for Man’s existence. God can create and enjoy this creation without having any further purpose than the act of creation itself.
Having said all that, both alternatives are completely sensible. My personal starting point originally, was that that the Universe has no purpose in God’s eyes other than to be the context in which His relationship with Man is played out. The Bible is silent on this subject, or at least could probably be used to argue either view.
I had to think hard on whether God enjoys his creation for its own sake. I know the Creation for God was a trivial matter, but it still seems to me to be pretty marvellous.
In June 2003, my Hazel and I, being inexperienced hikers walked over the Julier Pass (2,300 metres / 7,500 feet). The temperature in the valley was 30 degrees, but unknown to us, the pass was still covered in deep snow. We kept going and are still here to tell the story. At the top, was part of a rock, peeking through the snow, with perhaps no more than a few square feet showing.
People generally admire the resilience of nature, but it can still be truly awesome to see something totally unexpected and out of place. In this square metre piece of rock, was a tiny gentian (a small lovely delicate deep blue flower).
But what is the point of this, you ask. It was completely possible that we were the only people to pass this point during that day, and the only people to see the Gentian. The Gentian was a beautiful work of God, and I guess, at that moment, created only for my benefit and that of Hazel. (I tend to be the one who says “Oh look at that pretty flower. Isn’t it amazing? Whatever is it doing here?” and “How long do you think it will survive?” and it is Hazel who knows that it is a Gentian).
Suppose for a moment, that we had not passed by. There would have been no one to enjoy it. I expect that there were thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Gentians blooming, at that moment, with no one to enjoy them (quite sad, really isn’t it).
I am indebted to my friend Richard Reincke for reminding me of the famous poem by Bishop Berkeley, about the tree existing at all times, as God was always there to see it. In the case of the Julier Pass, God would be the only person to see and enjoy all the gentians blossoming on the mountain top. I am prepared to stick my head out here, and assert that God does enjoy his gentians and other parts of Creation that are never seen, and which must make up 99.9999% of creation. Stars and Star systems are born and die, with no one to see them, except God himself.
God would have good reason to enjoy his own creation. It is pretty impressive.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
God Made Man for Man to Discover Him
I am back to the “Key Eight Beliefs” again. I am sorry about the side tracks, but I can’t resist it. Anyway, we are on to Belief Number Four, in case you had lost track.
Belief Number Three put forward the “controversial” (see note 1) view that God created the Universe and Man, because…well…that is the sort of thing that He does. What is special about Man is another subject and seems to have its own purpose.
We think of ourselves as special, both as a species and individually. We regard ourselves as superior to the animals. We are each the centre of our own universe. If not exactly in control of our environment, we certainly regard ourselves as having some kind of influence here. People have shown that they have no need to have a God to explain what they see in the physical world around us.
All of which makes you think that God must have missed a trick here somewhere. He goes to all the trouble of creating the most incredible universe (Psalm 19 v1 to 6 – “The heavens declare the glory of God”) and we ignore him. We even say that He does not exist. I know that many might say that God has already shown his presence by the extent and beauty of the universe. However, the point is that there are no posters in the sky saying “God – this way”. There are (mostly) no voices saying “Hello, this is God speaking”. No obvious and conclusive proof.
Of course, if you believe in God, then it seems so obvious. The magnificence of everything that we see around us in nature and what we learn from others about the universe “proves He exists”. But if you do not believe in God, then all this proves nothing.
God’s presence, even his existence, is cloaked in mystery. God seems to conceal himself in the universe, hiding himself from us. It is like one of those “Where’s Wally” jigsaw puzzles. Even his existence is a subject of debate. He teases us.
So why is He so difficult to find? Is it deliberate?
I remember, in my mid-20s, being at a playground. A friend was supervising some children who were playing. A little boy was chasing a girl and my friend said; “The boy chases the girl, until the girl catches him”. “I don’t understand. That should be the other around”, came the reply. “You’ll understand one day”. She was understandably very puzzled.
The answer, of course, is that God’s hiding is deliberate. We are intended to look for him and if we look for him, we will find him. If we don’t want to look for him or find him, then we will not be disappointed.
Why would be we look for him? Perhaps we have a need, we are scared, worried, wondering (“God - are you really there?), because we are made that way, or as the source of an answer or perhaps as a last resort, because we do not understand the world.
Going back to my title, and fourth key belief, Man was made for this purpose, which is to find God. Just as God wants to share himself with us, so we must find Him. He does not force himself on us, which is something of a mystery, but wants us to discover him.
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Note 1: As everything in the news these days is “Controversial”, I thought that I would throw this in, although I don’t know what it means.
Belief Number Three put forward the “controversial” (see note 1) view that God created the Universe and Man, because…well…that is the sort of thing that He does. What is special about Man is another subject and seems to have its own purpose.
We think of ourselves as special, both as a species and individually. We regard ourselves as superior to the animals. We are each the centre of our own universe. If not exactly in control of our environment, we certainly regard ourselves as having some kind of influence here. People have shown that they have no need to have a God to explain what they see in the physical world around us.
All of which makes you think that God must have missed a trick here somewhere. He goes to all the trouble of creating the most incredible universe (Psalm 19 v1 to 6 – “The heavens declare the glory of God”) and we ignore him. We even say that He does not exist. I know that many might say that God has already shown his presence by the extent and beauty of the universe. However, the point is that there are no posters in the sky saying “God – this way”. There are (mostly) no voices saying “Hello, this is God speaking”. No obvious and conclusive proof.
Of course, if you believe in God, then it seems so obvious. The magnificence of everything that we see around us in nature and what we learn from others about the universe “proves He exists”. But if you do not believe in God, then all this proves nothing.
God’s presence, even his existence, is cloaked in mystery. God seems to conceal himself in the universe, hiding himself from us. It is like one of those “Where’s Wally” jigsaw puzzles. Even his existence is a subject of debate. He teases us.
So why is He so difficult to find? Is it deliberate?
I remember, in my mid-20s, being at a playground. A friend was supervising some children who were playing. A little boy was chasing a girl and my friend said; “The boy chases the girl, until the girl catches him”. “I don’t understand. That should be the other around”, came the reply. “You’ll understand one day”. She was understandably very puzzled.
The answer, of course, is that God’s hiding is deliberate. We are intended to look for him and if we look for him, we will find him. If we don’t want to look for him or find him, then we will not be disappointed.
Why would be we look for him? Perhaps we have a need, we are scared, worried, wondering (“God - are you really there?), because we are made that way, or as the source of an answer or perhaps as a last resort, because we do not understand the world.
Going back to my title, and fourth key belief, Man was made for this purpose, which is to find God. Just as God wants to share himself with us, so we must find Him. He does not force himself on us, which is something of a mystery, but wants us to discover him.
-------------------------------------------------
Note 1: As everything in the news these days is “Controversial”, I thought that I would throw this in, although I don’t know what it means.
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