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Where Is God When You Need Him?

Where Is God When You Need Him?

Last updated on: November 28, 2011 at 11:43 pm by chrisjohnson

Where Is God When You Need Him? 2011-11-28T23:43:57+00:00 chrisjohnson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

by Bruce Adams

Just last week I had the pleasure of playing myself in a play in NYC. For those of you who missed it, the name of the play is, “The Ice Cream Man Cometh.” Not being a trained actor, I did not quite know how to act or what acting was all about, so I did my best to just experience the moment as being as real as any other moment.

As I listened to the dialog between myself and Sunshine Steve (a on location news reporter played by Steve Allen), it occurred to me that he was asking the same question that so many have asked so many times before. “Where is God when you need Him?”

In the play, it is not until near the end of the last act that I get to address that question and share a powerful insight with Sunshine Steve. What I remind Sunshine of is that God does not come into and out of our lives, but rather, is infinitely a part of and connected to our eternal experience.

The reason this fact is not recognized by many in this world is because as humans, we tend to get lost in our perceptual concept of what is and many times miss the real meaning of each moment. A good metaphor for this would be, “You can not see the forest for the trees.” As long as you stay focused on one tree and refuse to look beyond the limited view, you can never see the whole forest. This is true for not only trees but also Life/God. In the gospel of Thomas Jesus speaks of God as the Living One. As I see things, God is Life, and Life is that which is both physical and non physical alike. Perhaps this is why when asked his name, God simple responded with,” I am that I am”

I have often said and will probably continue to repeat many more times, in terms of “Ultimate Reality” God alone exists. To get an idea of what that means I believe it would be helpful to look back at the forest for the tree metaphor.

I once read, God is the seen and the unseen alike. If we were to accept that indeed God is the seen and the unseen alike, wouldn’t that make everything from the micro to the macro a part of God? Wouldn’t that also mean that any sense of separation is in fact only a perception based on a false belief? Throughout time there have been those who were aware of this and shared their understanding with others.

“If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” Psalms 139:8

Over the course of my life I have had a deep seeded urge to look to physics from time to time.

While I am not a physicist and do not claim to know much about physics, I do know this, you cannot separate the seen from the unseen and be aware of the whole.

In the physical universe it is understood that there is a relationship between energy and matter. What is not so widely understood is, just as there is a relationship and interaction between energy and matter, there is also an interaction between the non physical and the physical. In fact, nothing that exists as energy or matter could have come into being or could survive if it were not interconnected to the formless universal consciousness some call God.

In Prophet or Madman I speak of creation and describe all that is as, consciousness within consciousness within a greater consciousness which is the basis behind the model of The Trinity. When I described consciousness this way, I could have easily substituted the word Spirit for consciousness because to me they are the same.

For those who have heard that God is spirit and had a hard time understanding what that meant, it may be helpful to see that what was being said was, God as Spirit, is a formless consciousness. Looking from this vantage point may also shed some light on another point of confusion for many.

As a child I had trouble understanding or trying to see a picture when I heard we were made in the image and likeness of God. It was only after I recognized God as the formless and form alike, that I could begin to understand I and everyone are equally a part of that whole. Jesus understood this enough to make the assertion “I and the Father are One.” To me, what stood out when I heard Jesus make such a declaration was, he understood himself as a unit of consciousness interconnected to that which is.

As units of consciousness living within the greater consciousness known to some as the body of God, everyone experiences their thoughts and beliefs as their view of reality.

Obviously, the view of reality seen through the eyes of Man, cannot compare to the view held by an omniscient consciousness (GOD).

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:9

To add a little clarity and to get a general idea of what we are here in this world for, I believe it would be helpful if you could see everyone as Spiritual units of consciousness that are here to evolve through interaction with others.

As each unit of consciousness grows in understanding, things become apparent that previously were beyond its’ ability to see/understand.

For those who respond better to pictures you might want to engage your imagination and create a visual of what you just read.

Before you begin however, I would like you to consider that just like Sunshine Steve, if you place limitations on your view to only that which can be seen through the physical dimension your picture will always be incomplete.

That said, let’s begin.

Imagine you were born on an island in the middle of a chain of mountains. Now imagine that the tribe you belong to has never ventured out to explore beyond the base of the mountains because everything that was needed to sustain your life was very abundant. On day however, you are moved to explore what you have never seen or heard and head up the mountain. As you start to climb, something catches your eye. Far away you notice another tribe that you never knew existed. Instantly, your view of life is changed forever. How can this be, you ask yourself. You were constantly told that your tribe represented all that was.

Excited now you climb higher and eventually you reach the summit. It is there that you see the ocean for the first time and become overwhelmed with curiosity and a little apprehension. Everything that you thought you knew has suddenly come into question. The most important question is, are you willing to accept there is more to life than what you have accepted life to be?

In closing, I would like to leave you with something to ponder, what if time is an illusion and Now is an infinite endless moment of exploration?

Regardless of your path or what religion you practice, if you wish to awaken yourself and live awakened in this world you may find yourself reinterpreting your view of reality itself!

More to come…

Love and Light,

Brother Bruce

Prophet or Madman