THE TROUBLE WITH GOD
The trouble with God is not that he doesn’t exist, He does. I don’t know why some people find this hard to believe. Some can even believe that there is a devil, they believe that satan exists — it’s not hard to believe this, I suppose, when you see satan mini-me’s all around you. But, how can they believe that the ultimate evil exists and not believe that the ultimate good exists, too?
The trouble with God is that He can easily show Himself, make His presence obviously known, and finally end all these discussions about whether or not there is a God. But, that’s not his plan, no! Since mankind chose to have free will, or so we’ve been taught, people must be left with their own devices to find their way to what is good or bad, what is true or false, what is right or wrong, what is permanent and what is not — whatever they want. God only has a few guidelines, which only a few people were lucky enough to get first-hand… Follow the golden rule… Faith, hope and charity… Love your neighbor as you love yourself… The 10 commandments… Only a few, difficult guidelines!
The trouble is if we choose the wrong path, God isn’t just going to let us go. He loves us and will save us. It’s like a tricky battle of will — you can’t win so why bother; when you lose is when you win. Crazy isn’t it?
The trouble with God is that He says He’s there for us — recall footprints in the sand. He will carry us when we can’t go on. He listens to all our prayers. He supposedly answers all prayers, we’re just not equally good in listening to the answers — maybe because sometimes the answers He gives are not the answers we want. That’s because the trouble with God is He doesn’t really care if we remain young and beautiful, or become rich, or stay healthy. I don’t think so. I think God’s main concern is to give us character-building life lessons that help us come to a realization of what is really important and meaningful in life.
I can grasp the principle. We have to learn to let go of the things that are temporary and unimportant. We even have to learn to let go of all earthly connections. The physical body is limiting, how can we embrace the limitless eternal when we’re bound by the limiting material? Yet, the principle understood is different from the principle lived and practiced.
The trouble with God is that He could be harder to those who love Him most. While earthly fathers pamper their favorite sons and daughters, our Heavenly Father gives His favorites more difficult, character-building lessons so they can be perfectly molded in His image, be capable of perfect love, be worthy of reconciliation with God so that after death, they can be part of the eternal, perfect life.
The trouble with God is despite all these difficulties He sends our way, when sometimes it’s easier to turn our backs and say we don’t believe Him and don’t love Him, He truly is someone we can’t just leave out of our lives. For what is our life, what purpose is living if nothing is permanent and eternal? So, you’re a good mother — but you’re only a good mother relative to being a mother. You’re only a good worker while you work. So you’re a good person — but you’re only a good person while you’re a person, i.e. with body and soul. What are you when you cease to be a mortal? Will you be immortal or just a non-mortal? Is that what limbo or purgatory all about — the state between being and non-being?
The trouble with God is He troubles with us. When He can just turn His back, forget about us. Then, maybe we could be useless, meaningless particles in the cosmic galaxy — trouble-free, mindless drifters who feel no love yet no pain, either. Though, maybe not even. Maybe those particles are breathing, living, loving creatures closer to God’s image than us. Maybe the unfeeling, un-aching, unthinking souls are in some kind of black hole. I don’t know.
The trouble with God is He lets me trouble my heart and mind with all these wonderings and assumptions when He could just scream the answers out loud for all of humanity, including me, to hear.
But, that reminds me of sounds that human beings cannot hear without damage to their finite beings. If God speaks to me now, will I be able to take it?
On second thought, keep speaking softly, God. For I think the trouble is with me, afterall.
"I am the truth, the light and the way… When the permanent comes, the temporary passes away…" The thought comes to me like a whisper. And, I whisper back — "no further questions, Your Honor."
