Tomorrow's God?

Well, since last night I was accused of starting a book club. Peachy. What a revolutionary subversive I am!

Why?

Well, last Tuesday, about 6 of us got together to discuss a book called “Tomorrows God” by Neale Donald Walsch. Heres how it opens:

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Chapter 1 - “The Greatest Blasphemy”

We need a new God

I KNOW

No. Im serious. We need a new god. The old God isn’t working anymore.

THE OLD ONE NEVER DID.

Some people think it did.

THEY WERE NOT LOOKING AT THE WORLD AROUND THEM.

They weren’t?

NOT HONESTLY. NOT COMPREHENSIVELY. THEY WERE SEEING ONLY WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE. THEY WERE NOT SEEING THE CRUELTY AND THE FIGHTING AND THE KILLING THAT WAS GOING ON IN GODS NAME….
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Quite a punchy opening! More about the books content in a sec.

I’m now going to desperately remember the gist of what Tom, John, Tim, Pete, Simon and me all had to say about it. (If I forget stuff, my apologies. I am very good at remembering impressions and feelings. Not so hot on the detail!)

Whilst the K2 Kashmiri served up its usually pretty good level of cuisine Pete lamented that Andrea his partner wasn’t there. “She would have loved this. Its so connected to what she believes. She gets so turned off by the talk of the Christian God, but really connects with life, and beauty and spirituality.”

John shared with us where he was at in life. After being incredibly honest and open about his experiences at the Toronto Vineyard, studying theology at uni, and being the “role model” evangelical Christian it was clear all of these things had been something of a “mixed blessing”.

“The only reason I have now to believe in God is creation. Its incredible design…”

Tom commented that the way the book was written seemed like a bit of a Schizophrenic chat until you got used to it. This opens up an interesting question. Is it really possible to hear God this easily? I can say that the reason I think I connected so strongly with a lot of this book is because it articulated thoughts and feelings that I have had for a long time. I connect with God through thoughts feelings and images, which I can later articulate in words.

It was clear that Simon hadn’t read any of it and desperately tried to blag his way onward in classic Simon style J (Love ya mate. )

We ended up talking about a load of Topics. I think Tim summed things up the essence of “Tomorrows God” beautifully by saying that how we believe in God, or our picture of God filters through and affects every aspect of our behaviour. As a result, we need to change the way we see God, believe in God if we are going to change the generally disastrous way that the planet is heading. I.e. If we believe in a God that advocates mass genocide, then the planet will experience mass genocide.

Plenty of aspects of human experience suffer (or develop beautifully). The conversation turned towards education. If we believed in a God that truly accepts everyone where they are at right now, with all its cultural, religious and social differences, then Schools would focus more on the three “R”s - Reconciliation, re-creation and re-unification! Instead of teaching Kids how things have always been and asking them to memorise these facts the foundations of education could be to invite them to explore ideas of how things could be! To explore new ideas and ways of being, enabling them to be more responsible for a world that THEY create, rather than remembering the world that we have created for them.

So what is Tomorrows God like? Here are the 9 major points:

1. Tomorrows God does not require anyone to believe in God.
2. Tomorrows God is without gender, size, shape, colour, or any of the characteristics of an individual living being.
3. Tomorrows God talks with everyone all of the time.
4, tomorrows god is separate from nothing, but is Everywhere Present, the All in All, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Sum total of Everything that ever was, is now and ever shall be.
5. Tomorrows god is not a singular Super Being, but the extraordinary process called Life.
6. Tomorrows God is ever changing.
7. Tomorrows God is needless.
8. Tomorrows god does not ask to be served, but is the servant of all Life.
9. Tomorrows God will be unconditionally loving, non-judgemental, non-condemning and non-punishing.

So is there something in there for us? Is it just New Age Mass consciousness nonsense? Is it what Jesus taught, or where he was leading us?

As for me, even through my regular church going I’ve always sensed God leading me toward the more positive aspects of The Bible. Me and Tom had a chat about wether it was right or not just to accept the “good stuff” and filter about the “bad stuff”. I’ve always asked the question “Does this belief serve me, and does it serve others?“ If it doesn’t, then I ditch it. What’s the point in holding onto it? Life is too short.

But then I am a bit of romantic in most things J

I’ve never known a God that focuses on the dark parts of me, but instead has always drawn out the light and beauty that’s on the inside of everyone. I couldn’t believe in a God that doesn’t embrace everyone, right here right now. And that we are all a part of that, in our own ways.

I’ve also been more and more impressed by the fact that God is within all of us, and all things. I don’t think it helps us at all to see Him (her it) as separate in any way shape or form.

Anyway, there we go. A bit of ramble. If I’ve missed anything please shove it on here!

One (for me) very exciting upshot came from the conversation, and that was to have an evening in The Cross where we invite mates to share what they really believe, and what spiritual experience (if any) they have had. What has served them? What hasn’t? I believe most people want to share this in a mutually accepting environment, and it would be class to do this over a few beers. Up for it?

Ill fix a date soon.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Keep it real, and keep the peace,

Louis x