God isn’t a man. I like to say God has no penis but that just pisses people off. Now, that’s not to say God’s a woman because It’s not. In fact, God isn’t a person at all. God isn’t Jesus, God isn’t Buddha and God isn’t Lao Tzu. God doesn’t sit in our remote corner of an eternal universe staring at our tiny Planet Earth, stroking his white beard and tracking your every naughtiness. Actually, God doesn’t do anything. It’s not in the nature of God to do. God doesn’t judge and God doesn’t condemn. God doesn’t desire, coerce, manipulate or punish. We made that up. Our species punishes a lot. God doesn’t even care. Or love. Again, we made that up.
But in God exist each of these things and all other things.
It really doesn’t make sense, does it? I mean, such traditional ideas of God really don’t withstand any amount of critical thought. If God lives out there, where is there? How can any one religion be the religion? How can God be available only to people of a certain era or geography? What about all the others? Do they just arbitrarily go to hell? What about the children who didn’t know enough to perform the prescribed rituals? Do they just go to hell as well? And where, exactly, is this hell? And if sin will keep me from heaven but God will always forgive, why not party through life, beg for forgiveness during that last hour and slip through the pearly gates with all the nuns and girl scouts?
You see, that’s why we have atheists. They know it doesn’t add up. And they’re right. Atheists are really just spiritual visionaries. And although we’ve reached a point in our collective evolution at which many of us are rejecting these childish concepts, we all-too-often stop asking those tough questions at this point. We all-too-often fail to push through that rejection into new concepts of this thing called God; into new concepts which do make sense. We just park at the rejection stage.
These essays are that push. These essays are that next step beyond the rejection. You see, you were never meant to abandon your intellect in your quest for spiritual understanding. That which is really true will always make sense.
So, if God isn’t a man or even a person or love or specific to any religion or geography or era; if God doesn’t perform acts, pass rewards to His chosen, judge, condemn or otherwise, do; what exactly is God?
Well, here it is. Are you ready?
The nature of God is creativity.
That’s it.
The nature of God is creativity.
God is the creative substance of the universe.
What does that mean? Think of it this way. God is a cosmic Play Dough of sorts. As Play Dough, It’s nothing without you and Its only role is to remain available to you for the process of co-creation otherwise known as … your life. In short, Its only role is to respond. It cares not whether you create something of great benefit or something of great destruction. It responds equally. It cares not whether you create great abundance or great poverty. It responds equally. It cares not whether you create with great intention and awareness or with complete mindlessness. It responds equally. This last one can be particularly bad news for some.
This cosmic Play Dough (God) has no opposition. There is no good Play Dough and bad Play Dough. There is only Play Dough. This cosmic Play Dough (God) is available to all people at all times. It has no favorites. It excludes no one. This cosmic Play Dough (God) works perfectly. If It appears imperfect, it’s only because we don’t understand it. This cosmic Play Dough (God) is without limit. You see, you have a staggering power at your disposal.
So, instead of worshipping God, understand God. Instead of begging God, use God. Step up to the spiritual plate. Accept responsibility for your life and assume your true and only role as co-creator with God. And know that when you really understand God and when you really understand your relationship with It, there will remain only one appropriate prayer to offer:
“What will we create today?”
“Dear God, what will we create today?”
Welcome to Radical Essays on This Thing Called God.