Friday, January 04, 2008
God Power
When one attends our meeting one feels the spirituality there. That is enough. I don't have the quote in front of me but Barclay once said, "when I am in their presence I feel the good rise up and the evil melt away."
The spiritual path tested by our community and its legacy is our trust that the Truth resides in each of us. There are so many different understandings among present and historical Quakers about the nature of God and spirituality. Often these differences are masked because we can pretend what you mean by "God" or "The Divine" is the same as what I mean, or we do not wish to go there because at other times these differences have caused us to be at odds and to split. However, the fundamental Truth goes beyond words and we need not be trapped by those words.
I recently asked a non-theist Friend why he uses God language. He answered that it is the language of power. That is my observation also. God language is about power, you see it everywhere in the bible. Power is not spirituality. It is in the absence of power that spirituality truly rises up to transform.
Quaker spirituality is about a spirituality rising from within. It is a blooming flower, creativity itself, a fountain whose source need not be captured by name and is better not captured.
If you wish to name it for yourself I will celebrate your celebration of the fountain within, but the need to name it for us is an exercise in power, perhaps even a violent act.
The spiritual path tested by our community and its legacy is our trust that the Truth resides in each of us. There are so many different understandings among present and historical Quakers about the nature of God and spirituality. Often these differences are masked because we can pretend what you mean by "God" or "The Divine" is the same as what I mean, or we do not wish to go there because at other times these differences have caused us to be at odds and to split. However, the fundamental Truth goes beyond words and we need not be trapped by those words.
I recently asked a non-theist Friend why he uses God language. He answered that it is the language of power. That is my observation also. God language is about power, you see it everywhere in the bible. Power is not spirituality. It is in the absence of power that spirituality truly rises up to transform.
Quaker spirituality is about a spirituality rising from within. It is a blooming flower, creativity itself, a fountain whose source need not be captured by name and is better not captured.
If you wish to name it for yourself I will celebrate your celebration of the fountain within, but the need to name it for us is an exercise in power, perhaps even a violent act.
