When I was a young Catholic boy, I thought God was this great powerful being who lived in heaven and looked down on us. The reason why He had to be in heaven was because He couldn't stand being around a bunch of sinners.
It sounded logical because the priests kept telling us that we were always living in sin...and it was almost impossible not to sin. Even if I had a "bad" thought, I was "sinning". And if you know teenage boys, I had a lot of bad thoughts.
Unless I found a way to be "unborn", I wasn't going to escape the fact that I was born a sinner and would continue to be a sinner until the day I die. And if I wanted to see God, I needed a plan. The trick was to get my confession in just a few moment before I die. That way, I would only have to act saintly for a minute or two and then, voila, I'm in!
About 40 years later I had a different concept of God. It was right after I lost my second wife. That experience plunged me into a deep depression. I needed a different kind of God to get me through it. I needed a more personal God, a more loving God, a God that I could be one with. That's when I revised my picture of God.
The concept of me being a part of God took me out of my depression and gave me much more. It transformed me into a much more loving person. How could I not be? If I am a part of God, then His nature must also be my nature. His Love essence must also be my essence. Except for the fact that He is omnipresent and omnipotent there isn't anything that IS God that is not me...or is it? This leads us to what happened yesterday...my breakthrough.
The difference between the second and the third revision is not just evolutionary or revolutionary. It is EPIC.
For example, if I were to pray to God under the second concept of God, it would go something like this...
"God I need guidance. I lost my job. I couldn't finish school because of my health. I have a special need child that needs me to be at home. Give me sign of what I can do to pull us out of this dilemma." And then I would wait.
Weeks or even months would go by and I would have to pray again, "God, I really need an answer here. My savings are running close to empty. Should I try writing or something to make some money from home? God, please tell me what to do so I can do it and get on with my life!" And then I would wait some more.
Weeks later and I would still get no answer. So then I would start blaming God. "God, why don't you answer me? I have You to thank for all my problems. Why can't You get your fat butt off your throne and do something? Can't You see I'm waiting for your answer here?" And then the prayers would get really ugly from here.
Now... if I were operating under my latest concept of God. The prayer would go something this...
"Thank you God for giving this opportunity to demonstrate my power of creation. I know what I have to do and it shall be done." That's it...short and simple. Because if I KNOW I have the power of God in me to create and change anything I wish...there's no need for supplication. There is only gratitude.
Incidentally, if you go back to the prayers that were done under the second concept and substitute my name or the word "I" or "me" for every time the word "God" was used, you would see exactly who was the cause of the problem.
It sounded logical because the priests kept telling us that we were always living in sin...and it was almost impossible not to sin. Even if I had a "bad" thought, I was "sinning". And if you know teenage boys, I had a lot of bad thoughts.
Unless I found a way to be "unborn", I wasn't going to escape the fact that I was born a sinner and would continue to be a sinner until the day I die. And if I wanted to see God, I needed a plan. The trick was to get my confession in just a few moment before I die. That way, I would only have to act saintly for a minute or two and then, voila, I'm in!
 |
| This is my first impression of God. He is everywhere, but He is separate from me. |
About 40 years later I had a different concept of God. It was right after I lost my second wife. That experience plunged me into a deep depression. I needed a different kind of God to get me through it. I needed a more personal God, a more loving God, a God that I could be one with. That's when I revised my picture of God.
 |
| In this second revision, I am a part of God. God is everywhere and in everything...including me. |
The concept of me being a part of God took me out of my depression and gave me much more. It transformed me into a much more loving person. How could I not be? If I am a part of God, then His nature must also be my nature. His Love essence must also be my essence. Except for the fact that He is omnipresent and omnipotent there isn't anything that IS God that is not me...or is it? This leads us to what happened yesterday...my breakthrough.
 |
| This is my most recent concept of God. He is as much in Me as I am in Him. He is my Creator; but at the same time I am also creating Him. We are One...yet we are not One. Such is the Divine Dichotomy. |
The difference between the second and the third revision is not just evolutionary or revolutionary. It is EPIC.
For example, if I were to pray to God under the second concept of God, it would go something like this...
"God I need guidance. I lost my job. I couldn't finish school because of my health. I have a special need child that needs me to be at home. Give me sign of what I can do to pull us out of this dilemma." And then I would wait.
Weeks or even months would go by and I would have to pray again, "God, I really need an answer here. My savings are running close to empty. Should I try writing or something to make some money from home? God, please tell me what to do so I can do it and get on with my life!" And then I would wait some more.
Weeks later and I would still get no answer. So then I would start blaming God. "God, why don't you answer me? I have You to thank for all my problems. Why can't You get your fat butt off your throne and do something? Can't You see I'm waiting for your answer here?" And then the prayers would get really ugly from here.
Now... if I were operating under my latest concept of God. The prayer would go something this...
"Thank you God for giving this opportunity to demonstrate my power of creation. I know what I have to do and it shall be done." That's it...short and simple. Because if I KNOW I have the power of God in me to create and change anything I wish...there's no need for supplication. There is only gratitude.
Incidentally, if you go back to the prayers that were done under the second concept and substitute my name or the word "I" or "me" for every time the word "God" was used, you would see exactly who was the cause of the problem.
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