Monday, August 22, 2005

what would you ask him?

What if you could have 1/2 an hour tomorrow with God in person, face to face?
You could see him. . no staring up toward the sky or the ceiling, trying to imagine someone other than some 'old man' wearing a white garment, sporting a flowing white beard. . .
You could sit down with him. . .at a table, on chairs, on a bench outdoors, on a good, big 'sitting rock'. . .have a coffee with him. . . maybe walk and talk?
If you reached out to touch him he would be touchable. . no more 'thin air God'.
How would you be with that? *doesn't matter whether you currently 'believe' in him now or not. . let's say that he does exist and he is right in front of you . .*
How would you feel?
Might you have some unexpected sort of reaction to being near to him?
Do you have questions you've always wanted to ask? questions that no one has been able to answer to your satisfaction?
Would you ask him those questions?

I halfway think that if i was sitting out on my deck and i was sitting in one of the chairs and God was sitting across the table from me, I have this feeling that i wouldn't have any questions once I laid eyes on him. . . i think that questions are for here and now, and questions exist because we're too small to know the whole truth, like a little toddler is simply not told many, many things because they don't have the capacity to make sense of them. I think he is the embodiment of every answer to every question and just being around him, i would probably forget every question i've ever thought of.

This is a bit of a tangent, but its about God too. . I have this theory. . it might sound bizarre, but because there are so many people in the world of all different sorts of skin colours and facial features, all different languages. . I think that when a person sees God, God has the ability to appear to that person the way that person needs to see him. Does that seem strange ? I don't think that God shape shifts or morphs his features or anything, but I think that he is so good at the 'doing everything at the same time' thing. . like listening to everyone at the same time in all those languages and being everywhere at once. . gah. . i can't understand how this is possible, but what do i know? So, i think that he is definitely able to be visually everything at once to the human eye, every human eye, he can appear black, asian, latin, caucasian. . maybe i'm nuts, maybe not. Did you see "Meet Joe Black"? Brad Pitt's character was the 'angel of death'. . and to every person he ushered from this mortal coil, he would appear in a way that was familiar to them, he would talk their talk, you know. . the Jamaican woman lying on the hospital bed in that spare, tiled room, he spoke to her in this perfect accent, using the kind of words that she would use. . calming her and reassuring her. . that's sort of what i mean.

I have questions, specific ones that pertain to the life i've been living. . like why did only 2 out our 5 children live? Why have i periodically gone through such dark times? Those kind of questions . . they have tons of cliches that might serve as answers but i hate cliches. For the most part i have just learned to live without the answers. I have learned to live with the mystery and have had to accept that life is like that. I have faith, I think that God is other than what I am and i am okay with not knowing now, but i still wonder.

I have questions about the Bible, like in Genesis, when Cain killed his brother Abel, he fled to another land and met people and got married. . Where did these people come from? Up till then i thought there was only Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. . Was there really only 1 set of people on the earth when the whole thing started? or was there more than 1 pair of "Adam and Eves"? again. . that's my dumb idea. I'd ask "What about the dinosaurs?" I wonder about Neanderthals. . . I always thought that the first people were just like us. . smart, with it, but there's the whole 'cave man' thing. .were Adam and Eve cavemen? I don't understand how to reconcile things like this.

I'd like to ask God why does the universe exist in its vastness, if this 1 planet is the only place he chose to fill with life? what is the purpose of all the rest? things for us to discover? things to look at and wonder? If so, that would be kinda like building a mega mansion and having the family live in 1 closet. What might await us? where exactly is Heaven? Does God know how hard it is for us down here to believe a place we've never seen? Is Heaven the rest of the mansion. . .is life like living in the closet and death and going to Heaven like finally getting to see the rest of the place? How come everyone won't get to see it? why doesn't everyone want to?

I have questions about evil. . where did it come from? how did it begin? why is there a devil? how come he is what he is? why does he do what he does? why does he hate goodness? why does he use us to try to battle against God? Why did God make this earth and those people if he knew ahead of time that they would reject him and pierce his heart with grief? I wonder these kinds of thoughts. A lot of people i think ask the standard questions like "Who am I?", "Why am I here?", "What's the meaning of life?", "Why do bad things happen to good people?". . . yeah. . those are good ones. . real ones. Would you ask him those questions?

I think of the scenario, me and God face to face. . i hope that i'm not oversimplistic or naive when i think of him sitting on my deck just to answer my questions? I know that he's the creator of thunder and mountain ranges and oceans deep enough to make the sunkenTitanic look like a dollar store plastic toy. . so you'd think i'd be more likely keeling over in a sensory overloaded faint? maybe. . probably, but if i did, i'm sure he'd help me to my feet and sit me down and we'd have our half hour for questions, or maybe we wouldn't even have to speak? we could just take in the fresh air, watch the chipmunk dig yet one more hole in my yard and we'd smile because he's just so cute.

13 comments:

Kevin said...

That is a tough question!

I think I would ask him about his providence. I want to know IF he actually does anything in the world or if he just set the world in motion and let it be.

I would ask him if there is such a thing as the holy spirit.

I would ask him of course about evil. Where did it come from?

Perhaps I would ask him whether he is in fact good. And if he is good, is he only good, or is he also evil?

I would ask him of course what happens at the end of life.

I would ask him about Jesus. Was / Is Jesus the son of God and is he God incarnate?

I would ask him whether the Aposle Paul got any of his theology right.

I would ask him if he cries... and if so, what makes him cry.

Most importantly... I would ask him to bless me indeed and expand my territory! :P

supersimbo said...

whoa.........tough is right!!
i would be speechless though..........and in awe

Kevin said...

In reality... I'd be scared too.

Tracy said...

If your "God" showed up on your doorstep - and I put that in quotes because I think "God" is a personal belief thing - I think you dang well better have some questions! Surely no one should read the bible, or any book for that matter, without questioning a single word in it. I think it's meant to be questioned. I bet "God" would be disappointed that you didn't use your brain if you didn't have any questions.

kathryn said...

good points. . good questions. Who doesn't have these questions? I know people who don't seem to question a thing, who just blindly accept and don't ever voice any doubts. I don't think that's such a good way to be -- kinda makes me think of brainwashing or cultishness. . some people learn by questioning.

I think that people who choose to be Christians and have been on that road for a while, they face the danger of losing touch with what its like not to believe all of this. Let's face it, without having faith to believe it all, doesn't it even seem preposterous? crazy even, to those who haven't accepted it?

Even though I made a decision to love God as a young child. . i really wandered far and kinda turned my back on the whole thing, God, church, rules. . . for a lot of years.

I remember thinking "What if this is all made up? What if its all a lie and there is no God or devil? no heaven or hell? What if this is all just some elaborate story? forbidden fruit, adam and eve, satan, God, life after death, hell. . what is all that about anyway?" I did think that. I questioned it. I settled into life and just didn't think about all that. . long story of how my heart changed. . but i guess its kinda like the Grinch 'who's heart grew 3 sizes that day. . ' yeah, it was pretty much that kind of deal.

I think Christians forget that they too once hadn't made up their minds. They can begin to become narrowed in mind and cut off from those around them who haven't decided, or who have decided not to believe in God. I haven't forgotten though. . so I hope that i would not ever be narrow or insufferable, out of touch. .

Anonymous said...

I think I would ask how much power he really has and if he just helps some people and why...then I would ask if I will ever feel happy again, and what I could do to go about doing that.

Faith

supersimbo said...

all i believe has been questioned from every concievable angle through my teenage years and i do agree that i have questions now but if God actually created the universe and is all powerful as i believe him to be then i reckon meeting that person or spirit or whatevr God is would be an experience like no other and would render little me speechless.........if you get me?

kathryn said...

i get you, Ally. i've been thinking of that Joan Osborne song "What is God was One Of Us?"

I hear your questions Faith, and i have had the same ones in my life.

Anonymous said...

hello hello...just popin by to say hi! ;0)

kathryn said...

hey, girl!!! thanx. . it was good to hear from you earlier today - thanx for the email. I'm glad you're okay. :)

Sherri Lavender said...

I don't think I'd ask him all those questions about the Bible and the universe... I think more about my life and my current direction. So, I might ask God, assuming I am mentally coherent when I see Him, what sort of direction I should go in next... Is there a serious mistake I need to be sure to avoid in the next year? I think I would also beg Him to make me the person I want to be... or the person He wants me to be... just zap or change me, you know? I can get so frustrated with myself and my imperfections

kathryn said...

yeah, the much desired 'zap of perfection'!! that would be so much easier. I vote for neon signs that drop down from the heavens to keep us updated on her progress, direction, etc. Wendy Gilchrist always used to say that she wished God would email her!

kathryn said...

i meant to say 'our' progress. . not 'her'!!! sometimes i'm a crazy typist!