Seeking Light
Sunlight filters in through bits of colored glass, falling upon his face and hands. He knows most certainly that no one is there to listen, but he prays all the same.
He wandered into an empty church today and though he is not a believer, he sat in silence for a long time, not even sure why he came in. He has no faith. He is not interested in worshiping a God who created humans in ‘his image’ and then sits back and watches as they destroy their planet and slaughter each other across millennia. How could he believe in a benevolent God whose design for humanity was so flawed that they are able to abuse and rape, torture and kill those of their own species – often with the very name of God on their lips? It’s never made any sense to him.
Why, he wonders, would an All-Loving God be so cruel to his creations, as to give them thirst, but no access to water, hunger, but not enough food on which to thrive? Why give them strong carnal urges, only to punish them for acting on them? If God is good, he wonders, and All-Powerful, why does He not just end evil in the world, and allow the people He created to live in peace? Or are we all just expendable pieces in some twisted cosmic game? He has no answers.
He seeks solace and understanding. He wishes there were a just, protective, loving God, but he knows it isn’t so. And yet. And yet – here he sits, alone in this quiet place of worship, comforted by a breath of incense, soothed with the glimmer of candles. Sunlight filters in through bits of colored glass, falling upon his face, his hands. He knows with absolute certainly that no one is there to listen, but he prays all the same. “Our father,” he asks, “where are you?”
Ah... He's started his journey to finding God. He's asking from the heart. We are free to choose. Everything. To help or to hinder.. or just not help. It is a wonder He hasn't just killed us all off... o wait.. He did that once before. Culture in India says He did that SEVEN times before. And still, some people, a dreadful lot of them, are as mean and vicious as ever. We are told He is patient... He wants his brat kids to get a clue and make HIS choices. But tough luck: He gave us free will. AND the instruction book, the complete cheat sheet, open book test. "Seek and ye shall find" right? We get less than 110 years to figure it out. Then comes the big test. "Thursday, 2 pm" He taps His watch. Pencils down.
Well-written piece on a puzzling matter. From my perspective, understanding what happened in Genesis 1-3 is crucial to grasping the role of free will vs fate and the reasons and effect of Mankind's evil acts.