Part of God is made of you!

We had a most interesting conversation with The Whole recently. The question we discussed was: In what way is truth changeless, and in what way is truth a dynamic, changing movement? The question quickly developed to include our understanding of God as well: In what way is God changeless, and in what way is God truly affected/changed by relationship? 

A number of participants shared how the changelessness of truth (and God) used to be a source of security and comfort for them. However, for many that has changed! And the reasons for that are so relevant to how we relate to God and reality. Some illuminating illustrations were shared, and I trust you will be as enthused by them as we were.

Let’s say we ask three siblings to write an essay about their dad. Each essay will be very different. Can you imagine the dad choosing one essay, saying: “This one is absolutely true, and the other two are false.” No! He will most likely say that all three are valid and true in their own way. Relationships are creative movements and each one produces novelty.

Let’s delve deeper. It is helpful to distinguish truth from actual reality. Let’s define reality as actual events – the facts of what has happened and is happening. Our experience of events begins unconsciously – we feel the influence of what’s happening. The more we bring these feelings into conscious consideration, the more we think about them, the more we interpret what is happening. And so we move away from the raw feelings into a more interpretive understanding. When we speak about the event, a whole new level of interpretation is present. Consequently, we can distinguish between reality and the representation or appearance of reality. The closer the appearance matches the underlying reality/event, the closer we move to truth. (The philosopher A. N. Whitehead developed this understanding of truth.)

What does this have to do with our relationships? Let’s continue with the illustration of the siblings and their relationship with their dad. There might be themes that are similar in all three essays. For example, all three might experience their dad as loving. What brought them to this conclusion would be actual experiences – experiences in which their dad acted for their benefit. Each one of these events would be unique, but when we think and articulate what they have in common, we abstract this quality we name love. 

Can you see that the actual events in which the dad loved – acted for their benefit – were unique and changed every time? The statement that “Dad loves me” is an abstract interpretation of what all these unique events have in common. So, in reality, the dad’s love manifests in changing events and circumstances – in that sense it is always changing. In abstracting and interpreting what these events have in common, they can make the statement that “Dad is loving.”

Why is this distinction useful? We are so used to speaking on a level of abstraction – statements that are interpretations of, and so removed from, actual events that we lose touch with raw reality. In reality, God’s love is new every morning, uniquely expressed in every situation. And if we can remain open to the surprising ways in which God wants to love us, rather than getting stuck in statements and abstractions, our experience of God will remain an adventure.

Our statements about God’s love would better represent reality if we clarify both the dynamic and consistent aspects of this love. When the Scriptures speak about the changelessness of God, or some quality of God, they most often refer to the consistency of that quality or the faithfulness of God. The idea of an absolute changeless substance was introduced into theology by later philosophical speculation. So for instance:

If God is truly in relationship with creation, then these relationships affect God as surely as your relationship with your children affects you. Relationships are not movements between static “things” – they are creative of things. Relationships do not simply happen between persons, they are creative of persons. A part of God is made of you!

Statements such as these should lure us, drawing us into an experience rather than simply forming part of our doctrines and theories. When Jesus said, “Father, I pray that they might be One, even as we are One”, our initial reaction to these words, should not be judgment as to its truth or error, but rather feeling – becoming aware of the invitation in the statement. Yes, we should evaluate statements, but we often rush into doing so before we have allowed them to draw us into a deeper awareness. 

Let’s practice with this statement again. A part of God is made of you. Can you feel it. In you too, the Word becomes flesh – the thoughts of God find actual existence in this world.