Sending my love...
I just read your post... that's a lot to handle! Given what you've mentioned in your post, there's no wonder you’re confused. I wouldn't be surprised if you were very cynical of religion. (Not saying you are but would understand if you were) I hope you don't mind if I comment here.
I tend to think of suffering in several ways. I would not say that God does bad things to us but I would say that he allows bad things to happen. I'm not sure I can explain it well enough, but it would have to do with God giving us choice and free will. We, as individuals and as well as collective group, have the ability to make bad decisions and have bad things happen. The consequence of one bad action by one person has the ability to affect a large group of people. People can make bad decisions and others can suffer because of it (either more or less directly).
No one's perfect and not all of the time. It boggles my mind that the actions of each and every person can then affect such a wide range of people. Imagine a stone dropped in a pond... there would be ripples spreading from the place were the stone landed. Imagine two stones dropped in the pond and their ripples colliding. Imagine the ripples from a rainfall. I imagine seemingly chaotic ripple interference! (Obviously, I'm more cynical of large groups of people than I am of religion!)
There are many ways to experience God's presence and love. One is to realize that we're all in the "pond" together and that when we are there for each other in God's name, God can be present through us. During part of the service where I attend, we present our "gifts" at the altar. We pray that our meager gifts when brought to the altar are blessed and become more than the "raw material" we offered. It is easy to think of the gifts given at the altar as just money or some wafers of bread and a cup of wine. It can and should be more than that. I don't necessarily think much of my words and thoughts written here nor do I presume to think my words have any power within themselves. Right now in my prayer, as well as this weekend during services, I will offer them and by the power of God I hope that you receive some healing love. I send my love and pray it becomes more than a meager offering.
P.S. - Above all things Jesus taught love. In that there is no contradiction. Rules and guidelines may have expanded from this but at the core remains love. It is fine to question and seek understanding while developing a relationship with God. Doesn’t it seem natural to have conversation and spend time with God in order to build a relationship? If it is found appealing, enlist the help of a spiritual director or minister or other clergy to help spark the conversation and/or discuss thoughts. As a warning, shopping around for someone like this with which there is a sufficient level of comfortableness might be in order, but the reward will be worth it.
PPS – Cathy I still read (and listen to the music on) your blog.
I tend to think of suffering in several ways. I would not say that God does bad things to us but I would say that he allows bad things to happen. I'm not sure I can explain it well enough, but it would have to do with God giving us choice and free will. We, as individuals and as well as collective group, have the ability to make bad decisions and have bad things happen. The consequence of one bad action by one person has the ability to affect a large group of people. People can make bad decisions and others can suffer because of it (either more or less directly).
No one's perfect and not all of the time. It boggles my mind that the actions of each and every person can then affect such a wide range of people. Imagine a stone dropped in a pond... there would be ripples spreading from the place were the stone landed. Imagine two stones dropped in the pond and their ripples colliding. Imagine the ripples from a rainfall. I imagine seemingly chaotic ripple interference! (Obviously, I'm more cynical of large groups of people than I am of religion!)
There are many ways to experience God's presence and love. One is to realize that we're all in the "pond" together and that when we are there for each other in God's name, God can be present through us. During part of the service where I attend, we present our "gifts" at the altar. We pray that our meager gifts when brought to the altar are blessed and become more than the "raw material" we offered. It is easy to think of the gifts given at the altar as just money or some wafers of bread and a cup of wine. It can and should be more than that. I don't necessarily think much of my words and thoughts written here nor do I presume to think my words have any power within themselves. Right now in my prayer, as well as this weekend during services, I will offer them and by the power of God I hope that you receive some healing love. I send my love and pray it becomes more than a meager offering.
P.S. - Above all things Jesus taught love. In that there is no contradiction. Rules and guidelines may have expanded from this but at the core remains love. It is fine to question and seek understanding while developing a relationship with God. Doesn’t it seem natural to have conversation and spend time with God in order to build a relationship? If it is found appealing, enlist the help of a spiritual director or minister or other clergy to help spark the conversation and/or discuss thoughts. As a warning, shopping around for someone like this with which there is a sufficient level of comfortableness might be in order, but the reward will be worth it.
PPS – Cathy I still read (and listen to the music on) your blog.
posted by Big_Daddy | 1:55 AM
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