I have been struggling with a new computer for an electronic medical record. It is a tablet type of computer, and has a rechargeable battery, the servicing of which is going to be a nightly ritual now. It has a standard plug connected to a transformer, which then feeds to the computer. Apparently the battery does not charge off of AC current. I believe most other portable electronic items, like iPods and cell phones, have the same transformer link, just smaller.
Oddly enough, this led me to think about encounters with God. The Old Testament is filled with encounters with God. Genesis has more than I can readily enumerate. Some of these are rather contentious, such as the argument over how many good men have to be in Sodom to avoid God destroying the city. Most of them, however, are filled with awe and even terror. Moses and the burning bush, Isaiah in the temple, Elijah in the cave, Samuel’s call (more awe than terror), Cain, Job, all of them were either terrified or in awe of what they experienced. Other experiences are other-wordly, with God perceived in fantastic ways, and using terms that appear to have difficulty in capturing the experience. Ezekiel certainly falls into this category, as do other prophetic encounters.
The Old Testament description of God is quite compelling for me. Majestic, wise, omnipotent, wrathful, strict, but also kind, loving, forgiving. I love the words ‘slow to anger, and of great kindness’. No matter what combination of terms used, however, the direct interaction with God is rather more than human senses seem to be able to describe or human minds to bear.
The transformer for the computer made me think, rather inappropriately, of Jesus. The New Testament is singularly missing the interactions with God of the Old Testament. Paul experiences a vision of Jesus, but not of God, or of God the Father if you prefer. Revelations is a phantasmagorical set of images dealing more with heaven and the content and character of judgment than of the character of and interaction with God.
In the New Testament, Jesus speaks with God, or, in a sense, for God. Jesus also addresses Him quite differently than the stylings of the Old Testament. He addresses God with familiarity, as a son (THE son if you prefer), as an intimate.
People interacted with Jesus every day. He ate, bathed, slept, cried, taught, healed. No one seems intimidated by Jesus; indeed, he is repeatedly presented as non-threatening to the point of his own injury and death. We can debate the nature of Jesus, but whatever he was and/or is, he certainly had a powerful spiritual contact with and awareness of God. This does not seem to have troubled him, made him afraid or caused him to see God in fantastic, non-human terms.
In these ways, Jesus is a transformer. The overwhelming presence and power of God is made palatable for humans. Jesus is a mediator, not so much of access, but of understanding. His parables make the kingdom of God, the values of God, readily understandable in everyday terms. His healings make the mercy of God into a fleshly form. His example and teachings suggest that the kingdom of which he is so aware is right around us, available to us, and not frightening or overwhelming.
There is, for me, a peace about Jesus that is every bit as moving as the majesty, power and judgment of the descriptions of the Old Testament.
In another sense, transformers are not power sources of their own. They need to be attached to a power supply. Was Jesus a source of Godly power himself, or a mediator and conduit of the power of God? Certainly I feel more the latter, but in the end it is not relevant to me. If Jesus has the power of God embodied in the flesh, the human scale of Godly power is not less, the accessibility of God no less. If Jesus is a conduit of that power, he is still a mighty teacher and example, worthy of veneration.
More important to me, he remains the best example of a life in communion with God rather than with the needs and limits of our fleshly world.
Ted
Oddly enough, this led me to think about encounters with God. The Old Testament is filled with encounters with God. Genesis has more than I can readily enumerate. Some of these are rather contentious, such as the argument over how many good men have to be in Sodom to avoid God destroying the city. Most of them, however, are filled with awe and even terror. Moses and the burning bush, Isaiah in the temple, Elijah in the cave, Samuel’s call (more awe than terror), Cain, Job, all of them were either terrified or in awe of what they experienced. Other experiences are other-wordly, with God perceived in fantastic ways, and using terms that appear to have difficulty in capturing the experience. Ezekiel certainly falls into this category, as do other prophetic encounters.
The Old Testament description of God is quite compelling for me. Majestic, wise, omnipotent, wrathful, strict, but also kind, loving, forgiving. I love the words ‘slow to anger, and of great kindness’. No matter what combination of terms used, however, the direct interaction with God is rather more than human senses seem to be able to describe or human minds to bear.
The transformer for the computer made me think, rather inappropriately, of Jesus. The New Testament is singularly missing the interactions with God of the Old Testament. Paul experiences a vision of Jesus, but not of God, or of God the Father if you prefer. Revelations is a phantasmagorical set of images dealing more with heaven and the content and character of judgment than of the character of and interaction with God.
In the New Testament, Jesus speaks with God, or, in a sense, for God. Jesus also addresses Him quite differently than the stylings of the Old Testament. He addresses God with familiarity, as a son (THE son if you prefer), as an intimate.
People interacted with Jesus every day. He ate, bathed, slept, cried, taught, healed. No one seems intimidated by Jesus; indeed, he is repeatedly presented as non-threatening to the point of his own injury and death. We can debate the nature of Jesus, but whatever he was and/or is, he certainly had a powerful spiritual contact with and awareness of God. This does not seem to have troubled him, made him afraid or caused him to see God in fantastic, non-human terms.
In these ways, Jesus is a transformer. The overwhelming presence and power of God is made palatable for humans. Jesus is a mediator, not so much of access, but of understanding. His parables make the kingdom of God, the values of God, readily understandable in everyday terms. His healings make the mercy of God into a fleshly form. His example and teachings suggest that the kingdom of which he is so aware is right around us, available to us, and not frightening or overwhelming.
There is, for me, a peace about Jesus that is every bit as moving as the majesty, power and judgment of the descriptions of the Old Testament.
In another sense, transformers are not power sources of their own. They need to be attached to a power supply. Was Jesus a source of Godly power himself, or a mediator and conduit of the power of God? Certainly I feel more the latter, but in the end it is not relevant to me. If Jesus has the power of God embodied in the flesh, the human scale of Godly power is not less, the accessibility of God no less. If Jesus is a conduit of that power, he is still a mighty teacher and example, worthy of veneration.
More important to me, he remains the best example of a life in communion with God rather than with the needs and limits of our fleshly world.
Ted
These last several posts have been so very rich, full of profound questions. Your willingness to tackle these honestly and openly is inspiring and humbling. We should all be willing to westle so openly with our questions, concerns, fears, etc. As to the divinity of Jesus, I as a Christian would make the case that whether He is or is not enormously important, crucial even. In fact, the integrity of Scripture itself hinges on it. If Jesus is not THE Son, then the Bible is book of stories (some true), whose authors intended to share perspectives, historical accounts, reflections, etc. that we now treat mainly as wisdom literature. If He is THE Son, then the Bible (even if you don't take everything as being literally true) is a revelation. That is, revelation about the nature of God, the nature of humanity, and a narrative about God's desire to be in relationship with us. I completely agree that claims of exclusivity can be awkward (they make me squirm sometimes to be sure). They may even smack of arrogance (though this is often made worse by the attitude of the messenger). But, in the end, it is difficult to make a cogent argument that all the claims of the major religions are equally valid. In fact, they are, in my opinion, mutually exclusive. I say this with the utmost respect for those of other faiths, as their value and dignity are unrelated to their beliefs. I share your experience that the Bible brings a unique sense of life, hope, exiliration, insert adjective of choice. It did so for me even before I made a profession of faith, strange as that may seem.
ReplyDeleteAs to the issue of environmental stewardship, you are right to consider our treatment of God's creation as an affront to Him. It was pronounced "good" before humans were ever in the picture (and I don't, by the way, adhere to a 6 day creation view). Calvin DeWitt has written passionately on the issue, as have others. It should shame those of us who claim to be believers when we see those outside the faith do a better job of caring for the earth than we do!
Love the transformer-Jesus connection by the way. He certainly had a transforming influence in His own time and does to this day. I am completely mystified by the idea of Him being fully God and fully man though I accept it as true. I think the fully man part is the hardest for me to come to terms with, but it's that part especially that gives us all hope!