Tag: liberals

THE NON-VIOLENCE OF GOD

God gave matter existence/plants life/animals sensation/

humans all these degrees of being plus self-consciousness

“Humans are the source/center/purpose of all

social and economic life” – Gaudium Et Spes (a Vatican II document) –

therefore it is not surprising the social justice teaching of popes

for the past 125 years have focused on human dignity

communion/community/commission – this trinity sums up

an integrated human life that Henri Nouwen based on Luke 6

where Jesus prays all night (communion with God)

then chooses his apostles (community)

then sends them out to preach the Good News (commission)

modern secular irreligion/political pseudo-religion/

and the mysticism of totalitarianism

deprive humans of their own freedom

which is necessary for authentic religion –

thus they make humans morally sick in their depths/

change their love into hatred/

change humanity into a mechanized beast

bent on self-destruction

but Jesus grounded human non-violence

in God’s non-violence – but then the Apostle Paul

grounded human non-violence in God’s violence:

“Never avenge yourself but leave room for the wrath of God”

(Romans 12) – subversion of texts happens throughout the Bible –

the good principle is stated and then unfortunately subverted –

but it is unusual for Paul to subvert the teachings of Christ –

and since Paul believed God is violent

this unfortunately was used against Paul

to justify human violence and war

unfortunately, we always find ways to be violent

and exclude others – both liberals and conservatives

have their false superiority judgments –

liberals make “suspicion judgments” and therefore dismiss

hierarchies/authority/those at the ladder’s top

and conservatives make “worthiness judgments”

and dismiss those on the cesspool’s bottom

but fortunately the Prince of Peace is merciful/kind to all/

and above all our ignorant and petty judgments.

 

HOW THINGS WORK

HOW GOD, THE UNIVERSE, AND YOUR LIFE WORKS

    Order, disorder, reorder. You can detect this universal pattern on a macro, micro, and personal level.

    If there was only order, there would never be any change, creativity and growth. If there was only disorder, things would be total chaos. 

    The universe goes through periods of order, followed by disorder, and then reorders everything at a new level over vast time periods. There was God (order) before the Big Bang (disorder) and then giant stars eventually formed (reorder). This new order had limited chemical elements, but the giant stars exploded (disorder) and seeded the universe with all the elements of the periodic table in new smaller, more stable stars (reorder). 

    God created natural laws and then let nature obey those laws. Rather than controlling everything, God wanted to see all the creative new things nature would produce on its own: butterflies, jaguars, whales, etc.

    Theologically, this theory is called “deism” which, although appealing, is  problematic because God is reduced to a kind of detached observer of the universe. The opposite problem, if God is too dictatorial, reduces God to ‘tyrantism.” Then destructive volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, and floods become acts of (a cruel) God.

    The same problem occurs at the human level. If God is not involved, God does not care, and if God is too controlling, we become robots. If there is no human freedom, there is no love. The solution is for God to allow us to be free and also for God to be involved in the form of persuasive love. That desire for greater fulfillment all humans have is God’s persuasive love constantly calling us to new levels of integration.

    According to “process theology,” nature as a whole moves inexorably towards greater consciousness and love because God constantly lures it to new levels of fulfillment.

    Most of the time nature is orderly, but some of the time, in obeying its own laws, nature creates disorder. Sometimes forests burn down but new plants and animals emerge. A giant meteor collided with Earth, ending the dinosaurs but allowing mammals such as humans to eventually exist. 

    Religions also go through order, disorder, and reordering. Conservatives can get stuck at the first stage – they want too much order and fear change and creativity. Religious liberals can get trapped in deconstructing religion and not be able to put their faith back together again, so they end up in chaos or virtual atheism. However, there are always people who seek to reorder their religion at a higher level. Examples in Christianity are Thomas Berry, Marcus Borg, and Brian McLaren.

    In your own life you might experience order for a while. You seem to have it all together and then disorder happens through divorce, illness or unemployment. If you are resilient and follow God’s inner calling, you may be able to reorder your life and make sense of it in a new way. 

    Disorder and suffering are caused by the freedom of nature and humans, not by God. God only allows them so new growth may occur. For example, you might learn to appreciate being single or happily remarry, learn better health care or to cope with your disability, or find more fulfilling work. 

    Hopefully, whatever happens, you can reorder your life with more compassion, gratitude and wisdom. This is God’s desire for you as God’s persuasive love calls forth the best that is in you in each new year.

Bruce Tallman is a London spiritual director, marriage coach and religious educator of adults. brucetallman.com