In the early hours of Christmas
morning, I sent a Tweet to Jesus Christ. Happy Birthday, I told him. For the
course of the day, whenever I thought about it, I wanted to cry. This of course
is not new because I happen to be highly emotional most days, but it was the
sheer tangibility of the exercise that worked me over. I was not praying to the
skies. I wasn’t slamming my eyes tight in hopes of a vision. I just… logged on
to Twitter and sent him a message. Tangibility. The fact that I could
virtually, reach out and say hello to the God of the Universe. iSmile. Of
course, it’s not Him; even if his description says, “Carpenter, Healer, God”;
even if he cracks me up with posts like, “Dad just told me he was Santa. This ruins
everything”. But the idea is strong because there is a level of tangibility to
it. Plus, he’s funny. Trust [in a real sense] was never an issue here; a notion
Theists love to throw around quite frequently. Maybe it’s his publicist though.
…
Trust over tangible proof. It is
the Theist way. It is backed up with sermons and inspirational quotes and
metaphors like, “You sat in that chair without thinking, TRUSTING it to hold
your weight. You put your faith in the chair…” The funny thing is [of course] I
can see the chair. More than likely I KNOW who manufactured the chair and can
thus make a complaint to the [albeit sour sometimes] source. And while
appearances are in fact deceiving, our minds can – at a glance – build a
hypothesis that includes weight and comfort to determine the strength of the
chair. Our brains can do this kind of thinking so fast, we don’t even realise
it. We just… pull up a chair and sit. But to trust a god? Where are the
records/the tangible? This is where you say, there ARE records. True. Every
major/minor religion has a text with a record of God. But, since none of the
sources are alive today…
Get it clear; I’m not saying I’ve
never “felt” God’s presence or “seen” God’s hand in things/situations [just a
few days ago, I was off the walls, happy by what I perceived was God at work]
but if it can be rationally explained what then? Every year, pilgrims of all
religions journey to their specific holy place. There, they “feel” the presence
of God. I sat down and realised though, that that could just be an emotional
response based on a preconceived idea; the foundation of which can be found in
what is read. Where is the tangible proof?
Let’s go back to the mind. On a
daily basis, the mind races with questions: Do I have to get up now? Why am I
still in this job? Should I buy that dress? Will he appreciate it? Do I look
alright? Why can’t I get a taxi? Are these people crazy? What should I have for
lunch? Grief, curry again? I wonder if there’s traffic? Do we have bread at home?
Am I forgetting anything? ALL DAY, our mind questions everything. Some answers
may be more forthcoming than others but that does not negate the presence of
the question does it? And these questions require a tangible answer. While [for
example] I may TRUST that I look well, I’d still like the TANGIBLE evidence by
way of a friend’s/family member’s validation of how I look. This is the nature
of man.
Now I know enough to know that the
questioning/mortal mind is often seen as a barrier to faith and trust. I also
know that sometimes you have to let go of everything tangible to reach the
intangible. A Theist KNOWS: Trust is respected. Trust is rewarded. Three Hebrew
boys were saved from a fire because of Trust. They were not about to
compromise, tangible evidence or not.* Meanwhile a disciple was rebuked for
asking for proof, post-resurrection.** Still, it wouldn’t hurt to get more than
rhetoric or rather, regurgitated material.
My friend/sister has a saying,
“Trust God but lock your car door.” iSmirk. Practical/Tangible logic indeed.
*Daniel 3:16-18: “O Nebuchadnezzar,
we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown
into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us…. But even if he
does not, we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or
worship the image of gold you have set up.”
**John 20:27-29: “Then he said to
Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands…. Stop doubting and believe.’
Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you
have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet
believed.’”
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