Finding God in the world

So we live in a world where God is active, yet so much seems to happen based on human choice, the 'haphazard' unfolding of the laws of nature and what looks like blind luck. We hear people talk about 'God doing this' or 'God doing that' but much of the time it is not easy to make sense of any of it. So what is going on?

What is the world? I think it is a material, concrete physical construction. I also believe that "behind" the visible world there is a spiritual world. The spiritual world can only be known through analogy. This is vital. Analogies are "like" statements. They are "sort of the same but different." Analogies are needed when what we want to say is bigger or more complex or beyond our ability to communicate. Literalists have a hard time living in the world of metaphor, symbol, myth and analogy. Without trying to sound mean, I think, at times, the real world is too deep and complex for the literalist.

Much unbelief comes from the refusal to be humble and acknowledge that reality is beyond our grasp to describe. People disappointed in "God theory" think they must become agnostic or atheist. People frustrated with church and preachers (with good reason; I am sure I drive lots of people away) walk away from belief. So much of this is due to bad theories. Our theory of the world, our "world view" dictates all sorts of things. Our assumptions produce beliefs. So I want to say that our starting place, "what is the world?" is also crucial. I want to offer a world view and return tomorrow and flesh it out.

The world is a sacrament. A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an invisible spiritual reality. "In-and- through" signs God is working to rescue and heal a lost and broken world. Let me illustrate with a brief parable: I am sitting in an airport, feeling disconnected and alone. I am carrying the weight of my various doubts, fears, frustrations, worries, and anger. I am out of sorts. Suddenly, I see a grandma running to take her two grand children in her arms. There is laughter and excitement. It brings tears to my eyes. Why? Because for that moment I am torn out of my mental cycle of despair and "in and through" those dancing strangers I see a reason for joy and hope. This encounter symbolizes for me the depth of love and grace in the world. I connect them to my own experiences and my own desires.
So do I need God to give me a fireworks show with miracles to see God? Nope. God is alrady manifest, I just need to be able to discern Him present. I need eyes to see. I need ears to hear. I need a heart to discern. I need the courage to trust that those people are a window to the truth of the universe. What matters is self gift and love. The whole world is a sacrament. "In and through" we can encounter God.
Much more to come. Today, try to look through the world to see what treasure lurks behind the curtain of the physical!

Co-creator 2

Yesterday I offered that we are in a world with rules. In general God operates within those rules. By His own free choice He has constrained Himself. His activities can be seen as interventions.
 So if a small child wanders into the street and a driver does not react in time because of the rules of physics and biology the small child may be killed. In terms of physics this is nothing spectacular. In terms of a parent it is a catastrophe. Human reactions indicate the there is something "wrong" with babies being killed like that. Our reactions (emotional and intellectual) do not make sense in a purely biological sense. If it is only about reproduction of our species then this is no tragedy. Our world population is growing steadily. So the spiritual component, the level of relational love and meaning come into play. This is, I think, one of the fingerprints of God. There is a deep longing in each of us for a world where physical laws are transcended. A world where no one will ever have to mourn the loss of a child. (and for that matter, a world where all children are loved and cared for).
At some level the world seems to be ruled by chaos. Jesus refers to that as "the Ruler of this world" and He is refering to satan. Our earth is not always a friendly place. Jesus did battle with this world.
My belief is that the world can be seen as chaotic and "lost". It is a chaos of our own choosing. We push God away (actively and passively) and the world is left to operate under its rules. Then human choices (we are co-creators) begin to impact the environment. Kings declare war and soldiers destroy and kill. Human remember harm done and seek vengeance. Life becomes a living hell where human compassion is crushed and smothered. In the midst of it we demand God to save us. We blame God. The same God whom we expelled with our desire to do it our way.

Yet in the midst of the chaos there is a number of joys in the occassional oasis: time in prayer, time with family or friends, time at a lake or the beach watching natural beauty. It stirs in us. The hunger and desire. "I want more of this" is a reminder that we are not creators on our own. We are not all there is to the mystery. There is something else (Some ONE else). Tomorrow I want to begin writng about reaching Him.

Co-creator

God had the freedom to do lots of different things. God chose to create a particular world with concrete rules. Gravity works because it is grafted into the creation. Atoms make molecules because that is the working plan.

I am daily confronted with all sorts of things which make people say, "Why would God do that?" Everyone has a list of such things. If we take seriously that the world is running along as designed then we know that things happen because there are causes and connections. When my son hits a baseball there is a matter of physics involved. The construction of ball and bat, the speed and location of each, the wind all combine to determine if it is a home run, a weak ground out or a foul ball. God does not sit and decide where to make the ball go. That is a mathematically determined outcome. Now my son and the pitcher operate in God's world. They are co-creators of the event based on their skills, choices and execution. Most of life is like that. Where does God come in? In the hearts of each player, that is where the most important events take place.

God's acts

Yesterday I offered a reflection on the multi-layered world we live in. Somehow we humans are atoms, cells and free agents. One does not negate the other. In the midst of all this God is at work.
Does He control everything we do? I think not. The bible says that God does act. He hardens Pharaoh's heart for example. But I recently heard at bible study that the way He did it was by relenting in punishment. Each time Pharaoh "got away with it" his heart got harder. Just like real life! Escaping consequences produces the same behavior often times. We all know that having our choices catch up to us makes us more willing to change. Pharaoh did not have to be a puppet to have his heart hardened by God.
Jesus told a story about preaching. Some people hear the word but it never penetrates their lives, others are interested for awhile, but lose interest because they are shallow or too busy with life. But, Jesus proclaims, some people are open and produce great fruits. Mother Teresa and Billy Graham are two recent examples. So are countless other unknown Christians.

My offering today is that God is more active in those who offer themselves to Him. People who respond to the Message and His invitation to follow. God respects human choice. A person who tells God "please run my life" is going to be more likely to have God running their life. One danger of the "God controls everything" belief is it may allow people to minimize the importance of response to God. There are holy places in the Bible. There are holy people as well. Holy means given over or set aside for God's activity. Being holy means being His possession. Becoming a tool for God is, in part, our choice!

What kind of God 6

So how can "God be in control" and "human freedom" exist at the same time? Is God pulling the strings in brutal massacres, senseless torture, dehumanizing pornography, etc.?

Well, let's take a look at the world.

1. Atoms. The world of atoms and sub-atomic particles is incredible. Theories about the world at the sub-atomic level are mind-blowing. The world is made up of these incredibly small bits of energy. The atoms and molecules also make people. We are, therefore, subject to the laws of physics. But all the laws of physics do not fully explain us. There is more than atoms to a human.
2. Cells. These little packages funciton and live in a real sense. Cellular biology constantly uncovers new and amazing insights into the remarkable nature of cells.What mechanism governs this process? It is not conscious. We are made of cells (doing their thing) but we are more than a collection of cells.
3. Organs. A huge collection of cells produces a functioning organ. Liver, brain, heart.... Each one interacts and depends on the other. Yet there is no conscious choice made about that function in 99% of the cases. We live because these organs function and the organs function as long as we live. But we are more than a bunch of interconnected organs.
4. Body and soul. At this level we suddenly have rational function and choice. A heart does not decide to beat, there are physical, chemical, mechanical-organic laws at work which explain all that. But it is possible to do something intentionally to make a heart beat faster, or slower, or to stop. Somehow freedom enters into the equation. There is a sense where the body which I can never fully control, can be controlled. There is mechanical necessity and spiritual freedom. This is the mystery of human being.
5. Community. Humans are impacted by their relationships. We all know that in different settings we act differently and have a different sense of self. Social sciences reveal that people are maleable and will do things that they would not ordinarilly do in a group (peer pressure). So our freedom is impacted by physical and social pressures.
6. Divine. As we go from one level to another we see that the word "cause" has different levels of meaning. In explaining human life physics, chemistry, biology all play a part. So does personal choice and interpersonal relationships. We do not think that humans are explainable simply by looking at bonds of oxygen and hydrogen. Nor is cellular reproduction the total explanation.

So what does this mean? I think that God works at the divine level of things. This means that He is doing what He does without disrupting the lower levels (most of the time). So the laws of physical existence work on physical entities (gravity, for example). The laws of biology work on biological entities (breathing, for example). The laws of spirituality work on spiritual entities (choosing, for example) and the laws of social interaction work on social entities (group think, for example). Let's look at it:
"A man is going to the store. In the parking lot he is shot by a robber. He dies."
Why did the man die? Because of physics. A gun operates because of these laws.
Why did the man die? Because he wanted a gallon of milk and went to the store.
Why did the man die? Because a young boy raised in a chaotic home and violent neighborhood had no respect for life.
Why did the man die? Because guns and bullets are manufactured and are available to young men like this.
Why did the man die? Because the bullet entered his heart and did catastrophic injury.
You get the point, there are dozens of "reasons" or "causes" and just because one is true does not mean that the others are not true. So what is the point?
God acts at a level beyond our understanding. To say, "God decided to take the man home" may not be a helpful way of wording it (unless one is also willling to say "God decided to motivate a thug to shoot someone today.") It is enough to say that God is at work at a macro-level (and a micro-level) beyond our current assessment capabilities.
In a sense this does not answer anything, but it does broaden the discussion. The world is one mystery wrapped up in another. We are deluded into thinking that we understand more than we do. We need to be humble. It is Sunday, go to church! Worship.

What kind of God 5

Is God in control?
Depends on what you mean by control.
One of my assumptions is that the way we talk reveals what we really believe. I shared some time ago that atheists frequently talk about evolutionary processes in terms that imply intentionality. It shows that at our core we do not think this whole big world is simply a chaotic accident. Likewise, when some well-meaning Christian lays down arguments that 'God controls everything' the act of doing that proves that they do not believe what they are saying. Here is why. If God controls everything then arguments are useless. You cannot change someone's mind by making a good point because there is no choosing. We are just puppets. The fact that we employ rational debate and argument shows that there is human choice. It implies that we can choose one thing or another.
So what about God being all powerful? Can't God do anything He wants? This is probably one of our great misunderstandings. We want to respect God (He is awesome and perfect) and it sounds bad to say God has limits. But God does have limits. Once God decided to create a specific kind of universe He imposed limits on Himself. He could have made a universe where babies were delivered by storks. He didn't. He created this world where babies come about in a different way. He could have created a world where a full human life span was two days (like some bugs). He didn't. He created this one. He could have created a hundred different worlds. Maybe He has. But we live in this one.
In this one there is cause and effect. In this one there are rules over matter. In this one human choices can create beauty, joy, disaster and misery.
Why does God let bad things happen? Because He has chosen to create a world where we all share in the creation process. Every detail of every moment is not simply handcrafted by Him. Yes, there are times when He intervenes, when He imposes Himself in a situation. There are other times when He is not active. The bible says over and over again that He does both. His big picture goals do not necessitate micromanaging ever aspect of creation.
I do believe God is at work in the world and leading things to His goals. I also know that God can cause at a different level, a deeper more foundational level. But in saying that I am also saying that the way it is often expressed ends up sounding like there is no freedom and God controls everything on this level. (More later) I think we need to take the real world we live in real seriously. I think God does. That is why prayer is so important. Sometimes God is waiting to be invited into our lives...

What kind of God 4

Remembering the Suzan maxim (Any God small enough for me to understand is not God) we approach talking about God with humility. There are limits to language so our words always fall short. But we can say some things that are at least pointing in the right direction.

1. God is the source of everything. There are many debates about how much God controls everything. Scripture does not give a clear answer to that. In some places God seems to be pulling the strings, but in other places He clearly deals with humans as independent agents. It does not seem logical to say God controls everything (Is God really the author of rape, muder, torture?). On the other hand, the idea of a Divine Plan is pretty clear. God has a desire (to save all people) and God has engaged in activities which lead Him to realize the plan. I think it is not the case that everything happens the way God wants (not if you read the prophets or see Jesus weeping over Jerusalem) but I do believe God is resourceful enough to find a way to achieve as much as possible within the limits of creation as He has made it. We can look at this tomorrow.
2. God is the Judge. Too  often I hear humans hold the Father up to scrutiny. People act like they are able to judge what is best and to criticize God. When there are problems in the world they blame God. My favorite is "fat and happy" Middle Class people who complain about God letting people starve. In the Scriptures God is the one who is mad about it. Basically He says, there is enough food for everyone, why do you not figure out a way to share it better? It is arrogant to judge God. It also makes no sense.
3. God wants us to pray. Prayer is less about talking then it is about listening. Some people tell me that they tried prayer but nothing happened. What???? That is like going to the gymn for twenty minutes and saying, "I did not lose any weight so I quit going." God does not need a "to-do" list. Ironically we do! So listening (primary way is to read the Bible for long stretches of time) is the most important part of prayer. Prayer is not easy. It is also not optional. Giving God our time is a wonderful sacrifice of love. If you are too busy to pray then you are too busy!