Gods and Consciousness: mapping the development of consciousness through views of ultimacy - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

It was raining that morning. Ray leaned over his desk working fervently on his sermon. Six-year-old Jimmy wandered into the little study. He saw his dad working and knew not to disturb him. He walked to the window and gazed out. Rain blew against the window and rivulets meandered beside the road. He asked aloud, “Daddy, why is there anything?” Ray's sermon crumbled to dust. His mind went blank. This wasn’t a flash of insight. It was a cloud of unknowing. He hadn’t a clue as to how to answer his son’s simple question. He turned to Jimmy who was still gazing at the blustery world. “I don’t know,” Ray said. Something in Ray’s tone caught Jimmy’s attention. He turned and looked at his dad. “It’s okay. I just wondered,” he said. Then he walked over, gave his dad a hug, and left the room. Ray didn’t get any more writing done that morning. The traditional answer to Jimmy’s question is, “God did it.” For some, this answer is satisfying and comforting. For others it’s neither. It just kicks the metaphysical can down the road without answering anything. It raises more questions: “Why did God do it?” “Why is there God?” “If God was here before anything else, where did God come from?” “What made God?” “And what made whatever made God?” “Why is there anything?” Sooner or later we confront simple, basic questions about existence for which we have no answers. They may come from a theological professor, a beloved progeny, the stillness of a star-filled night or the contemplation of a stormy morning. We may ponder these deeply or brush them aside. But they arise. Perhaps God language first arose in the attempt to speak about such things – to speak about that which is beyond our capacities to articulate clearly. I rarely use God language other than sharing stories like the one about Ray and Jimmy. I find the language confusing. For some, the word “God” touches what is most deeply real and meaningful. For others it touches painful memories of being judged or made to feel guilt. For others it sounds like intellectual childishness. I usually steer clear of God language and look for ways to share direct experiences. In the Spring of 2011 I decided to see what I could contribute to that engagement. The results are the talks in this booklet.

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