The Problem With Conceptualizing God
The Book of Exodus contains some of the most iconic stories of all time; the plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, manna from heaven, etc. One of the most puzzling, in my opinion, is the making of the golden calf. It is so odd that Aaron, Moses’ brother, seems to instigate and facilitate its making when confronted with the people’s insistence that they have a tangible representation of God in the absence of Moses.
It wasn’t until I began thinking about how Aaron, who had been side by side with Moses during all the miracles that had brought them to that point, had felt the golden calf would be a worthy representation of God or his prophet. After doing some research, I learned that many cultures of the time considered a calf or bull a familiar image of power and virility. So, I imagine that Aaron thought perhaps that a visible representation of God would help them conceptualize and be a constant reminder of him.
The result was that the calf became an object of worship, not the god it was meant to represent.
Because it is more difficult to follow something you cannot see, physical reminders or representations of God are helpful to a point. However, some of the most simple yet powerful reminders that God exists are all around us. Indeed, the world around us is evidence that not only does he live, but that he loves us. Perhaps the most potent argument that God is indisputable is that we exist. The odds that we could emerge out of the universe’s chaos are impossibly small, and the gap between humans and other life on our planet is enormous. But that is a subject for another time.
The fact that violations of the prescribed practices surrounding the worship of God became capital offenses emphasizes that putting God at the center of our lives is necessary for our mortal and eternal progression. Without correctly conceptualizing God and striving to obtain the attributes ascribed to him, we can only become a lesser version of what we could be, and that outcome is not part of the plan.
Living a godly life blesses not only us but also affects those around us and, eventually, the world. Daily practices such as prayer or meditation by believers in God and non-believers who are intent on living meaningful lives. Spiritual thinking is recognized as being helpful, at the least and vital by some, for proper mental and emotional health.
So, how do we come to know God? It is not by manufactured physical representations of him. Graven images are far too limiting and quickly become objects of worship. Jesus taught that God is a spirit and that we must worship him in spirit and in truth, which illustrates that this vague definition leaves open an ever-increasing understanding of God as we have more experience with him and gain more knowledge of him.
This past week I had a conversation with a very good man who is a devout Catholic. He talked about how people in the Catholic Church pray to the saints and, in essence, said it was because the saints are more approachable. After all, they are more like us, and these saints possibly have more influence with God than the ordinary person. If that were true, I would be motivated to become a saint so that I could eliminate the middleman. That concept of God does not make sense to me, and I asked him why wouldn’t we talk to God directly. Indeed God is capable of hearing and answering our prayers. He is God, after all. I have deep respect for this man and love him for his integrity and hope one day that he can conceptualize God as more approachable and personal.
I believe Jesus when he said that eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ. That statement proves that knowing the true nature of God is not only possible but necessary. Each of us can have experiences tailored just for us that will help us along life’s long exodus towards the promised land.
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