From the driver's seat
I am fairly sure most people know of the line in "Chariot's of Fire" when the guy says "When I run, I feel God's pleasure." What I want to know is this: is it possible to feel God's pain?
My logic is that if God allows us to feel His pleasure and joy and happiness when we do things that please Him, shouldn't he allow us to feel His pain and sadness when things happen that don't please us? If God is as we assume He is, He would love nothing more than to make more of Himself known to us for multiple reasons.
1) So we can experience better communion with Him,
2) So we can understand Him better, and love Him more,
3) So He can give us a glimpse of how things Should be.
All throughout history, there are accounst of God revealing Himself in some sort of way so that Christians can understand Him better. By this happening, one of two effects usually takes place. Either A) we are capable of a higher, more concentrated style and form of communion with God, which brings Him pleasure; or B) we gain insight to who God is beyond what we've already known, and thus come to love Hime so much more, based on the virtue that we know Him so much more.
Maybe I'm way out there, maybe I'm dead on. I have felt pain and sadness and anger and frustration before when I have had little reason to feel them, especially to the extent at which I felt them. Furthermore, I have been aware that things that I have been praying for, and certain other forces in my life have suddenly stopped, and it honestly feels like God is unhappy because things aren't going the specific, structured way they should. And lastly, I have had sad or painful emotions before when I have done things wrong, just as I have felt God's pleasure when I have done something right.
My point, I think in an effort and attempt to be with us more, God also reveals more of Himself to us so that we can better, and more efficiently and correctly know of and believe in His presence, and to bring us to a higher level of communion with Him so He can show us more of Himself.
My logic is that if God allows us to feel His pleasure and joy and happiness when we do things that please Him, shouldn't he allow us to feel His pain and sadness when things happen that don't please us? If God is as we assume He is, He would love nothing more than to make more of Himself known to us for multiple reasons.
1) So we can experience better communion with Him,
2) So we can understand Him better, and love Him more,
3) So He can give us a glimpse of how things Should be.
All throughout history, there are accounst of God revealing Himself in some sort of way so that Christians can understand Him better. By this happening, one of two effects usually takes place. Either A) we are capable of a higher, more concentrated style and form of communion with God, which brings Him pleasure; or B) we gain insight to who God is beyond what we've already known, and thus come to love Hime so much more, based on the virtue that we know Him so much more.
Maybe I'm way out there, maybe I'm dead on. I have felt pain and sadness and anger and frustration before when I have had little reason to feel them, especially to the extent at which I felt them. Furthermore, I have been aware that things that I have been praying for, and certain other forces in my life have suddenly stopped, and it honestly feels like God is unhappy because things aren't going the specific, structured way they should. And lastly, I have had sad or painful emotions before when I have done things wrong, just as I have felt God's pleasure when I have done something right.
My point, I think in an effort and attempt to be with us more, God also reveals more of Himself to us so that we can better, and more efficiently and correctly know of and believe in His presence, and to bring us to a higher level of communion with Him so He can show us more of Himself.
posted by geoff payne at 11:13 PM
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