Thought for Today
Published by Allison October 31st, 2005 in Spirituality & ReligionFrom Mr. Preacher:
If God is just a concept then our faith is no more than a philosophy. If he’s just a set of rules then our faith isn’t much more than a prison or, at best, a societal lifestyle. If it just tells us who we should vote for or what party we should belong to, then it’s just a political movement.
But it’s more. He is more. So, then, that begs the question, “How does one experience God?”
The answer is on the tip of my tongue. Or the outer edges of my brain. Or deep somewhere buried in my soul. Guess I just have to keep looking, and it will all make sense eventually. If it never does make sense, at least I’ve enjoyed a journey.
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Here is a problem associated with that question. The enlightenment virtually eliminated the spirit realm. Or at least they hoped to. They mad a line between the spiritual and the physical. They came up with new labels: physical and metaphysical…or natural and supernatural. The idea is that the spirit realm is a lesser realm because physical properties cannot be ascribed to it.
The simple answer is that God is spirit and I experience him in my spirit-man. Most modernists will never understand that. Most of religious experience then is trying to translate that spiritual dynamic into soulish and physical form. Something always gets lost in the translation, but it is still worth doing.
If you go back to the context of the post I pulled the quote from, I think you’re actually saying the same thing that the author implied.
And for me, while I know (with my heart/soul/spirit - whatever) the answer, it’s not something I can articulate. I suppose that was my point.
What appeals to me about the quote is that it demonstrates pretty clearly where some go wrong who would label their actions “Christianity.” God’s much bigger than all of that.
When I was pointing out the problem, I was more agreeing with Chad than disagreeing. He is right…words are wearying at times, because God is so much more than our words can express.
I agree with you Alli. We must experience God more than trying to articulate Him. That is what we must do personally. Unfortunately, there are others who feel that God consists as the sum total of their theology. That is what makes people get turned off towards God.