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Good evening-

Just got back from a beautiful concert by the King's Singers. One fo their pieces used a text by John Donne which I had never seen, concerning God.

As far as I am concerned, the existence of God is self-evident, but I appreciate not all feel that way. I am not one who denies either the righteousness, justice or judgement of God, but I don't especially sympathize with visions of violent judgement upon death. Donne clearly did, and his piece is very intense and moving to me. Here is the text, with language updated for clarity-

Poor intricate soul!
Riddling, perplexed, labrynthine soul!
You could not say you do not believe in God if there was no God.
You could not believe in God if there was no God.

If there was no God, you could not speak, you could not think,
not a word, not a thought, not even against God.
You could not blaspheme the name of God,
You could not swear, if there was no God.
For all your faculties, however depraved and perverted by you, are from Him.
And, except that you can seriously believe that you are nothing,
you can not believe that there is no God.

I will not wait until the day of judgement,
when I may see you on your knees, on your face,
begging the hills that they would fall down and cover you from the fierce wrath of God,
To ask you then, 'is there a God now?'

I will not wait until the day of your death,
when you shall have evidence enough that there is a God,
though no other evidence than to find a Devil,
and evidence enough that there is a Heaven,
though no other evidence than to feel Hell,
To ask you then, 'is there a God now?'

I will wait only a few hours, only six hours, only until midnight.
Wake then, and then dark, and alone,
Hear God ask you then, and remember that I asked you now,
'Is there a God?'

And if you dare, say 'no'.

Anselm's proof gives the same message simply and elegantly, but I love the ferocity of Donne's language, not because I imagine a judgement as in Revelation, but because of the plain and devastating challenge to the non-believer- where do you think your mind and tongue come from? Why do you think you can damn God? Only because of your God-given abilities, that's why. And I also like his not waiting until judgement and death, because we know nothing of the reality or nature of such events. But we all know what it is to be awake in the middle of the night, and questioning our selves and our existence.

I f we will seek and listen then, we can all feel and hear God speaking to us.

Ted

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