How we image God makes all the difference –
it impacts how we relate to God/others/ourselves –
Karl Rahner imagined God as “Incomprehensible Holy Mystery”
not concretely definable yet concretely involved
in all aspects of life
the ancient Greeks imagined God as Zeus –
a god cleverly involved in human destruction –
not just by throwing lightning bolts
but also curing human lust for power
by increasing our power at the expense of wisdom
until us mortals destroy ourselves –
what today we are on the verge of doing
with artificial intelligence
in the past we made God and spirituality
the Great Escape from reality –
the holiest thing was to be holed up in a monastery
or in the monastery of your heart
never seeking restorative justice
but the True God and true spirituality
are not dead to the body/sex/nature/beauty/
justice/humor/and excellence
previously we cut God and Spirit off from all that
but God’s Spirit excludes nothing and no one
the Holy Spirit as the Breath of Divine Life
is the Source of all life
in fact, aliveness is the best witness of God’s Presence –
when Francis of Assisi said to the almond tree
“Speak to me of God’s Presence”
the tree blossomed
similarly, we mortals blossom when we practice
the Presence of God
for “while I am with God, I fear nothing”
“The Paschal Mystery is now grafted
onto the tree of humanity and the history
of each individual” – John Paul II
so, Ramakrishna (1836-1886), the great Hindu saint
may have met Jesus in his heart since Jesus said
“I have other flocks that are not of this sheep pen –
they will listen to my voice” (John 10:16).
Intelligent Christian Spirituality 