"...I see God upon the ceiling, I see angels overhead;And he seems so close as he reaches out his hand,But we are never quite as closeAs we are led to understand."~Counting Crows, A Dream of Michaelangelo
What Adam Duritz is essentially saying here is that, despite how near God may seem (so close that we can reach out and touch him), despite comforting words to the contrary ("Behold, for I am with you always,"), we are never really that close to God.
Thoughts? I'll let everyone say a few words before I post my own opinion.
6 comments:
From Coach,
The question is: why do we feel this way? If I can't feel it, smell it, taste it or see it, I don't believe it. How many things can you think of (like God) that we feel this way. Remember the earth was once flat, and we believed it. Someone showed us that it wasn't and we believed that also. Maybe when god shows himself we will gain more believers! Keep in mind even then there will be none believers. I bet people didn't think much of Michaelangelo's ceiling until he added the color. Its a shame that we need everything in color... even God!
Swing level... Coach
Hmm - I guess it depends on quite what you mean by closeness to God, and in what manifestation. I assume you mean a closeness to God in perception, rather than closeness in behaviour.
There are times that I don't feel close to God at all (and am searching for that experience, that inspiration, that brings me closer again), times I feel somewhat closer, and rare times that I catch something much closer indeed. It's never quite like direct sight - more like catching a glimpse of a reflection - but it can be absolutely overwhelming. But I'm not sure I could take much more of it, nor am I sure that I'd be the better for it. It would be too captivating, and I'd stand entranced, and be no use to do that which is more important than simply and selfishly experience - namely work (in however minor and ineffective a manner) to help bring about God's earthly kingdom.
I think, of course, that would be an ecumenical matter.
Joking aside, one has to strike a balance, as Dr. Pain so aptly said. We can't spend our whole lives without experiencing God and God's closeness, but we can't spend our whole lives in such proximity, either. Which reminds me of something else.... for a later date.
Yes! Ecumenical!
Drink!
Additionally:
"Love of mine, someday you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark
If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the 'NO's on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
Then I will follow you into the dark...." (Death Cab for Cutie)
This lyric brings up another (and perhaps related) interesting point. What if the point is to get "close" to God through our closeness with other human beings? Our godliness arises from the extent of our embodiment of the Divine, the greatest manifestation of which being love. Perhaps heaven is a continuation of the presence of loved ones, hell a continuation of loneliness? How does this change one's view of the "nearness" of God, if our nearness to one another is, in effect, the deciding factor?
Beautiful lyrics.
I'd say God's revelation is both through immanence and transcendence. Immanence is something I experience most strongly through social interaction. Transcendent qualities I find through solitary prayer and through experience of nature. However, neither is exclusive, and I find both through all things in differing proportions. However, the message I extract from my personal experience, and through biblical teaching, is a focus on doing what we can in this world (that is, not focussing on the "pie in the sky when you die"). This reminds me of some lyrics by the Divine Comedy, which have resonated with me (both in my agnostic and spiritual times):
"Tonight we fly
Over the houses, the streets and the trees,
Over the dogs down below -
They'll bark at our shadows
As we float by on the breeze.
Tonight we fly
Over the chimney tops, skylights and slates,
Looking into all your lives
And wondering why
Happiness is so hard to find.
Tonight we fly
Over the mountains, the beach and the sea
Over the friends that we've known,
And those that we now know,
And those that we've yet to meet.
And when we die,
Oh! Will we be that disappointed or sad
If heaven doesn't exist?
What will we have missed?
This life is the best we've ever had."
[Neil Hannon]
Post a Comment