z-theory #17: A Devise and God

Last updated on: December 16, 2009 at 4:28 pm by David Hayward

z-theory #17: A Devise and God 2009-12-16T16:28:48-04:00 David Hayward

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ink I want to share with you something I’ve read about a certain devise. I have found it serves as an excellent, though limited, analogy to how we may understand God and the cosmos, time, history and even salvation. I read about this devise in the quantum physicist David Bohm’s essay, “The Enfolding-Unfolding Universe” (1980). Although Bohm was applying it to an understanding of the universe, I have found it helpful in helping me to understand incarnation as well:

This devise consists of two concentric glass cylinders, with a highly viscous fluid such as glycerine between them, which is arranged in such a way that the outer cylinder can be turned very slowly, so that there is negligible diffusion of the viscous fluid. A droplet of insoluble ink is placed in the fluid, and the outer cylinder is then turned, with the result that the droplet is drawn out into a fine thread-like form that eventually becomes invisible. When the cylinder is turned in the opposite direction the thread-form draws back and suddenly becomes visible as a droplet, essentially the same as the one that was there originally (see the diagram).

All things come from God (the ink prior to enfoldment), and to God all things shall return (the ink droplet unfolded after enfoldment). I suggest that this devise provides an illustration of that idea. We are presently living in the time of enfoldment, where God is graciously and intentionally diffused throughout all existence, invisible and undetectable. My understanding of the incarnation is that God has totally invested himself in creation, condescending to be completely enfolded in it. We cannot distinguish between a material universe without God and God enfolded into the material universe, it is so thoroughly complete, the All in all.

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