This reading took me on an interesting rollercoaster ride. First, I came across a beautiful passage which addressed why humans are drawn to God. Then, I read how all things good in nature come from God and felt frustrated because it left me with a longing to understand why evil exists in our world.
“Finally, man loves God because of the affinity between the human soul and its source, for it shares in the divine nature and attributes, because through knowledge and love it can attain to eternal life and itself become Godlike.” I felt a quiet satisfaction as I read this passage. I thought this was an excellent explanation of our need connect with God. It’s human nature to be drawn to the source of our existence. For instance, many people who have been adopted find it necessary to seek out their biological parents. It’s so important to find and/or connect with the source that is responsible for creating their life in this world.
“In truth, there is nothing good or beautiful or beloved in this world that does not come from his lovingkindness and is not the gift of his grace…For all that is good and just and lovely in the world, …is just a particle from the treasure of his riches and a ray from the splendor of his glory.” Does this mean that all things bad and unjust just illustrate a smidgen of his wrath and malevolence towards us? These types of passages frustrate me deeply. It’s very difficult to read that all things good are of God without needing an explanation for all things bad. The words in this passage are poetic, but I cannot ignore the underlying contradiction. If God is the creator of all, doesn’t that include things evil in nature as well as good? If God doesn’t have anything to do with evil, is he really ALL powerful? When we look at war, poverty, genocide and disease, what solace do we have if He is ALL powerful? Do we just say, “That’s God’s will”?
If anyone is able to answer any of my questions, I’ll be most grateful. I only want to increase my understanding. Thank you in advance.
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Hey Tiera,
While reading your blog, I was reminded of a passage in the Hebrew Bible book of Isaiah, "I form light and create darkness / I make peace and create evil."
It sounds weird coming from a monotheistic relition, but even Hinduism has Shiva, a god of destruction and death.
I think the point is that we can't project our sense of right/wrong out onto this world. It's our own fabrication. "Why does suffering exist?" is a superficial question, at least in comparison to "Why does suffering exist in me?"
That would be my 2 cents, anyway. And btw, I saw Rhonda this weekend...we're going to hang out with you and tracy soon, maybe Nov. 4th...:)
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