What if it *is* us?
Nov. 15th, 2005 12:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
johnpalmerI remembered reading something ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kightp had written about whatever divine force might be out there. One of the things she mentioned was that if there was something out there, for all we know, it might be us.
(That is, of course, a paraphrasing of my memory, so if you want to understand what she said and meant, you're much better off asking *her*, not listening to me.)
An interesting thing to think about: Jesus told his followers about the great power that they had within themselves, if only they had faith. The Buddha was human, but earned the right to touch upon the divine. The gods tend to be anthropomorphic, except for the flying spaghetti monster, but, dare I ask if H.P. Lovecraft was the original pastafarian?
It makes me wonder, sometimes.
The biggest thing I wondered about, at first, is if that meant that our good actions were truly divine, if our desire to do good made things better in some universal way. If our decision to do right meant that we were strengthening the power of goodness.
But then, something else struck me, and it should be obvious to some, but it's not how my brain works. What if acts of evil or lacks of compassion or indifference actually strengthened the forces of evil?
What if, when we turn our backs, we no longer have any right to rail at God for turning "his" back?
But more importantly, what if ever bit of evil did not simply end when its effects were done (and this might not be for a long time, because the reverberations of any action can reach far and wide), what it it made "Satan" (to use the Christian imagery I was taught as a child) that much stronger?
It's a sobering thought to me... it changes the "we are part of the divine" idea from one of "neat! Making people happy is a godly thing to do!" to a more scary "we have a lot of power, and a heck of a responsibility".
I'm not sure where I'm going with this... but it's been on my mind quite a bit.
kightp had written about whatever divine force might be out there. One of the things she mentioned was that if there was something out there, for all we know, it might be us.(That is, of course, a paraphrasing of my memory, so if you want to understand what she said and meant, you're much better off asking *her*, not listening to me.)
An interesting thing to think about: Jesus told his followers about the great power that they had within themselves, if only they had faith. The Buddha was human, but earned the right to touch upon the divine. The gods tend to be anthropomorphic, except for the flying spaghetti monster, but, dare I ask if H.P. Lovecraft was the original pastafarian?
It makes me wonder, sometimes.
The biggest thing I wondered about, at first, is if that meant that our good actions were truly divine, if our desire to do good made things better in some universal way. If our decision to do right meant that we were strengthening the power of goodness.
But then, something else struck me, and it should be obvious to some, but it's not how my brain works. What if acts of evil or lacks of compassion or indifference actually strengthened the forces of evil?
What if, when we turn our backs, we no longer have any right to rail at God for turning "his" back?
But more importantly, what if ever bit of evil did not simply end when its effects were done (and this might not be for a long time, because the reverberations of any action can reach far and wide), what it it made "Satan" (to use the Christian imagery I was taught as a child) that much stronger?
It's a sobering thought to me... it changes the "we are part of the divine" idea from one of "neat! Making people happy is a godly thing to do!" to a more scary "we have a lot of power, and a heck of a responsibility".
I'm not sure where I'm going with this... but it's been on my mind quite a bit.
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no subject
Date: 2005-11-15 11:59 am (UTC)Quakers talk about finding the god in someone, and acknowledging it. I think that there is an unspoken corollary, that you can find evil in someone, anyone, and acknowledge and encourage that if you choose. But Quakers actively choose the good. *That* is an important thing to do. Yes, it's a lot of power, and a heck of a responsibility.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-15 02:30 pm (UTC);-)
Are you a Friend also?
no subject
Date: 2005-11-15 02:35 pm (UTC)I've only been going to meeting for a few years, and I am not sure I believe everything that Quakers are supposed to believe, but I love going to meeting, and I admire the Quakers that I know.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-15 02:40 pm (UTC)It's been a long time since I've attending a regular Meeting regularly. But I try to live my life as if I'm in Meeting at all times. And I definitely try to see that which is Holy in everyone.
Sometimes it's dang hard! ;-)
no subject
Date: 2005-11-15 02:44 pm (UTC)I love going to meeting late, and walking in and feeling the palpable Good.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-15 05:00 pm (UTC)