Soma, in the PROCESS FORUM wrote me:
God the Father is an undivided and indivisible Whole, a pure consciousness that fills all time and permeates all space. This makes our purpose not to find God, but to realize God's presence and to understand that this all pervading consciousness is always with us. Life flows up from the inside where the Divine Presence is springing up from within us. When we realize this, we recognize that this all-pervading consciousness is responding to us from every person, thing or event that transpires. The Divine Presence is everywhere so let us awaken to the realization of this Presence.
Thanks Soma, I responded. The I told the following story to illustrate the point he made:
One Friday evening, while serving as a minister, as I was getting ready to take my family out for dinner, the phone rang. When I answered I heard the voice of a teenager girl, who gave me her name, which I recognized:
"Rev. King, I am calling from a pay phone. I hate to bother you at home, but something terrible has happened to our family. When I got home from school my parents were out on the street and loading our few belongings into the old truck we own. We got evicted. I realize that you may not be able to help us, but I thought I would call, anyway."
Besides the teenager and her parents there was a two-year old boy.
"Jinny, I said, I know that you and your mother--by the way, she was a very shy person with very little to say--and your baby brother come to church regularly. I also know that you have come to my classes on pneumatology about how we can work with the power of God, which is in through and around us, to get things done and moving in our lives.
Before I say anything else, will you agree, in harmony with me and my family, to tune in, that is, to connect with, the Holy Spirit (Pneuma) of God and make the positive affirmation that we will be guided as to the best way to handle this problem."
Her immediate response was, "Yes!"
Now, put your mother on the line. I asked the mother to do the same thing that I asked her daughter to do. Like her daughter she, immediately, agreed.
Then I asked: "Is your husband near?"
"Yes" she said, "He's across the road loading the truck. But he is not interested in God, or the church. He is kind of bitter about such things."
When she told me that he was within shouting distance I said, "Tell him I would really like to speak to him, just for a minute or two and for the sake of his children. Tell him that I promise not to preach at him."
When he came to the phone I told him about what his wife, his daughter, and the Kings, agreed to do. Then I asked him if he would join in.
His immediate response was: "I would feel like a fool if I prayed to a God...not believing in his existence."
"I understand" I said. "But I am not asking you to belive in a god, out there, or up there, who hears and answers prayers as if he were a Santa Claus.
Instead, I want you to imagine, or even pretend, that I have access to a super computer which is programmed to answer any rational question you and I are prepared to ask, and with a rational answer. Would you be willing to make use of such a computer?"
"If it were true, I would be a fool to refuse. Okay, I will play your pretend game."
Then I said, "When you have finished loading your stuff. Drive over to the church and I will meet you, there, in about fifty minutes, or so. There, we have a good kitchen. Bring any food you have. There is also a room, there, which you can use for the week-end, at least.
This will give us time to figure out the next move. I will speak to the social services people on Monday. Meanwhile, with the rest of the family, and my family, visualize that we will get the help we need. I will leave from here in about thirty minutes.
Just as I was about to leave to drive over to the church the phone rang. It was the unemployed trucker.
"Mr. King. I am glad I caught you before you left. About fifteen minutes after we spoke, just as I was putting the last few items on my truck, I remembered the name and number of a friend I haven't seen since he moved out of the city. He lives on his small farm--he is also was into trucking. He lives about ninety minutes drive out of the city. Years ago, we were good buddies and I did him a favour, more than once. I phoned him and told him my problem.
"His immediate response was: Come on out. I have space for you and your family. As a matter of fact I was wondering where you were. I am now in the position where I need a good reliable person. Do you still have you truckers license."
Even I was amazed at how quickly things came together. And this is not an isolated incident.
"In all things, God works together for good..." as Paul put.
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Unitheism--a doublet for panentheism--thinks of GØD as all pervasive, inter-penetrating all that IS--body, mind, spirit. GØD is Love=goodness, order, openness, and design, direction and dedication.
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BTW, I wonder if humane atheists ever make use of this all pervasive consciousness, which I call, GØD?