Better late then never applies for me today. I awoke at seven then slept to eight, then nine and twenty to ten in the end! I heard Michelle knock on my door on her way out! The extended sleep was welcome, because it was twelve last night after a busy evening.

I wrote quit a long piece under my writings and noted this morning that I still have some thing to add. The rest of today a plan on completing the remainder of the four ‘elaboration ideas’ and post them on my website. I also have to gather some Herman photos for Thomas before Sunday, which will take me a few hours. ~11:10am

22:06>
It is getting later and later, but I did want to make this small addition to yesterday’s topic on ‘Transitions in the high god image’.

Transitions in the high god image: addition

There is beside the recorded transitions in the records of the world religions, also a transition at the level personal daily living, as I have noticed. It is about that type of transition that I want to write a few words, which are based on my personal observation in my own habits and practices of others.

My earliest personal and taught practice of addressing the high god was through prayer when I was a child. These were the night time prayers of ‘I am tired and going to sleep …’ as I was taught in Dutch and the prayer before and after our meals, such as ‘Lord god bless this food, amen’ and ‘Lord thank you for this food, amen.’

Later as a teenager I learned the ‘Lord’s prayer’ among other sorts of prayers as I heard ministers and adults pray. Theologically this is not of great impact, but for the person these are fundamental in shaping the attitude of interaction with higher power such as that is conceived. As in ‘God the Father …’ in my case of Protestant Christian upbringing.

This act of prayer was often in the nature of a besieging for success say in an upcoming examination or other challenge. An asking for a blessing over work done or to be started, often in the knowledge that despite the best of human efforts, failure could not be excluded.

As such, requests for support from a higher power are of psychological importance, because both success and failure are now shared, preventing hubris or despair respectively. Even today we still see that leaders appeal to the higher powers in the case of important national events, such as war or peace efforts. The ‘God willing’ proviso of Muslims has become well known in this regard.

In the practice of community governance, the higher power may then take the blame for failure and allow the ruler some room. However, we also know that in the case of the Chinese Emperor he or she could loose the mandate of heaven, when too many things did not work out.

I am making these little detours to illustrate that prayer and the addressing of the mystery as imagined in the high god is a common event in the human traditions. And it is this image that is also subject to change on the personal and collective situations.

However, what I have noticed from the mentioned personal observations, that these images change even as I live my life, depending even on the situation that I am in. The high god image that arises depends on the situation and my own experience.

For example I repeated to myself the formula ‘I will keep you and protect you’ as a reassurance when I was in some difficult experiences about fifteen years ago. When difficulties arise I know that Christian believers often read the Psalms for comfort and reassurance.

Yet when it comes to situations of exploring and starting new enterprise the god image becomes one of empowerment and having dominion over. Often the art of that time will depict what I call a ‘Strident Christ’ and conquering figure even. The ‘Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity’ show such a Christ figure on its dust cover.

In my own case I find that when I am out of my depth I return to the child hood god image, while when contemplating the vastness of the universe I am overcome by a sense of minuteness of my own existence and at the same time am in awe that I human with this brain and its neurons can have some understanding of this at all.

And not to be forgotten is my notion that the mystery that confronts me is not at all personal, but can express that way in order to match my situation. The higher god image then is not constant or even predictable, when I as a participant in this existence do my thing, so to speak.

It is in this sense that we can speak of a continuing revelation, which at one time may encourage me and at another confront or even stop me. Writing this I recall the dark letters of Mother Theresa, who describes bouts of total desolation in her book of letters. There is also the book by St John of the Cross titled ‘Dark Night of the Soul’.

The high god image then is not some thing that only belongs to our human past, but is one also active in the present, matching our situation. It is up to us to recognise it for what it presents us with today in this process of interactive revelation.
<10:58pm~