The God-shaped hole, does it exist? I question this sometimes, in regards to the lives of those who are not His. Because if we are predestined before the world began of whether we will become followers of Christ, would the God-shaped hole throw some other theologies out the window?
This is what I think, not because it is right or wrong, but just to let myself work out some of the details for my benefit before anyone else's, but feel free to add your two cents.
I believe that we are shaped with a unknown desire at the beginning of our lives that there must be something more, there must be something bigger than this life. I am someone who loves watching sunsets and sunrises, I see more of the setting of the sun because I am up at that time, I am no early worm and so I seldom see the sun rise. I am someone who loves the great outdoors; I go camping, hiking, collecting leaves, observe the Heavenly hosts and walking on beaches. I could go on what I like, but the point I want to make is God's handiwork is known in nature, and because of this I could never doubt the existence of God even if I were not a follower of Christ.
Realizing that there is so much to prove God's touch in the world, I think that the God-shaped hole is there, but we as human beings try to cram so much into that hole that it becomes block and we are 'satisfied' and 'happy' and we're doing great... But like a square peg in a circle hole, it doesn't fit well or doesn't fit at all! In the same way, the things we fill into the emptiness of our lives that is not God, it gets clogged and it doesn't fit well. God is the circle peg in the circle hole; He fits perfectly in our lives and we as followers of Christ need to guide those to Him, so that their lives may be filled to overflowing with the life God gives us.
So yes, I do believe we have a God-shaped hole, a hole that can be filled with anything, but only God is the perfect fit.
1 comments:
I say AMEN to everything you said, and yes, the God-shaped hole exists. The Greek theologian and philosopher Apóstolos Makrákis called the universe "God's great book" and our Holy Scriptures "God's little Book". Of course he didn't mean it in a disrespectful way, just with reference to apparent size.
Like you, even if I weren't a Christian or Jew, I would still know for sure that God exists; that doubt has never crossed my mind—God is and always has been more real to me than I am to myself. In fact, I sometimes wonder if I'm here at all, in any substantive sense. I know that mythology says we are here because God or gods or buddha or whatever (the great cosmic tortoise?!) is dreaming of us. Orthodoxy sometimes expresses a similar idea in saying that we are here because the Lord is "thinking of us". This stems from the prayer sung during the great entrance of the divine liturgy "May the Lord remember you in His Kingdom, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen." In other words, if God remembers you, you will exist—forever. But what if He doesn't… ?
I once wrote a poem about the "God shaped hole" which I called "Deep, planted deep." In it, there is the line, "The inborne Image remains, dark, void, like a sepulchre addressing the body's Lord: O interior room! Cavern or castle, banquet hall or tomb! Negative Icon of What, or of Whom!"
Anyway, just noticed and read this post. Very good thinking, meaningful. Axios, my brother! Keep pressing onwards and upwards…
Post a Comment