In St. Paul’s speech at the Aeropagus, he spoke of “The God who made the world and all that is in it . . . he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything . . . he is not far from any one of us . . .” And he added, quoting, probably, Epimenides of Kenossos, “For In him we live and move and have our being . . .” (Acts 17: 24-28)
These ten words express very simply what philosophers over the centuries have been wrestling with and trying to understand, the marvel and the mystery of existence, of everything and everyone.
Existence is not a kind of historical event but an on-going, dynamic reality. We exist, not because God at one point in time did create us, but because our very continuing to exist is due to the continuing creating, sustaining power and action of God—what can be described as his love
Although some would dispute it, this is actually not a personal belief or an act of faith, the trusting acceptance of someone else’s testimony, witness, or teaching—it is a fact, a fundamental reality.
Whether we say “God” or “Higher Power” or use any other word or concept to explain it, the fact that everything and everyone are existing requires a currently operative cause greater than any and all of its effects.
As Mr. Spock of Star Trek might say, this is logical. It’s not a matter of opinion but of knowledge. Just because I cannot see ultraviolet or infrared radiation does not mean they don’t exist—but it does mean my vision has limitations.
The knowledge and awareness of the dynamic reality of existence has some equally logical implications:
To want or try to terminate our own existence or that of any other is, in effect, to want or try to thwart the action and will of God—alas, Hamlet, but “To be or not to be” is not our question to decide.
– Whether we know or are aware of it or not, we are inseparable from God; we remain connected no matter what we may think, desire, say, or do—“sin” and “evil” are not quite so powerful as we may think.
– Human growth, maturation, and development necessarily involve our discernment of the ongoing designs of our creator and our fidelity to and harmony with them —I can’t “gotta be me” all by myself.
– Since we are of God and in God, everything about our existence is essentially good and is only made less so because of our own choices and decisions—it’s a cop-out to claim, “The devil made me do it.”
– Deviations from the divine plan because of our ignorance are understandable—only God is perfect—but deviations because of our willfulness are short-sighted, stupid, and self-destructive—they’re “My bad.”
– Joy, gladness, celebration, and thanksgiving are the most appropriate reactions to our awareness that “In him we live and move and have our being.”
In 1974, an interesting science-fiction teleplay was shown on TV, “The Questor Tapes.” It was about a scientist who was planning to create an android called Questor but never completed his work. His interns, following his written instructions, assembled the android and activated it with memory tapes that he had left them, but some were damaged. Questor realized that he lacked some essential knowledge, the purpose of his existence, and had to seek it.
The story is a provocative, moving parable about everyone’s quest for this same essential knowledge, the meaning and purpose of his or her own existence.
21 July 2019