The Heart Of My Being-
As far as I could see, God was still irritatingly elusive. If He wants to be so coy, why does He bother to get our attention at all? How could our response possibly matter to Him? So I asked, “Lord, is human recognition important to You?”
It is very important. It is at the heart of My being.
Human recognition is at the heart of God’s being. I found that intriguing, but it only heightened the paradox of an invisible God who wants to be seen.
You would think I would have asked more at this point, but I often take things in wide-eyed and frozen in my tracks.
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God: An Autobiography, As Told to a Philosopher – is the true story of a philosopher’s conversations with God. Dr. Jerry L. Martin, a lifelong agnostic. Dr. Martin served as head of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the University of Colorado philosophy department, is the founding chairman of the Theology Without Walls group at AAR, and editor of Theology Without Walls: The Transreligious Imperative. Dr. Martin’s work has prepared him to become a serious reporter of God’s narrative, experiences, evolution, autobiography and sparks of wisdom. In addition to scholarly publications, Dr. Martin has testified before Congress on educational policy, appeared on “World News Tonight,” and other television news programs
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Listen to this on God: An Autobiography, The Podcast– the dramatic adaptation and continuing discussion of the book God: An Autobiography, As Told To A Philosopher by Jerry L. Martin.
He was a lifelong agnostic, but one day he had an occasion to pray. To his vast surprise, God answered- in words. Being a philosopher, he had a lot of questions, and God had a lot to tell him.
Jenny December 4, 2012
I find this so stirring! I myself have come to understand Him in the same way- that human recognition, intimate, authentic relationship, is at the heart of who He is.
It’s like an extraordinary secret, it’s like a pearl of great price hidden in the weeds of religous thought.
I’ve often thought it’s even reflected in His names: He is that He is, He is there, and He is ours- He is the God of His people.
Also, I have wrestled with His elusiveness. It makes me wonder about the necessity and purpose of faith.
Jerry L Martin December 29, 2012
Jenny, that human recognition and relationship is at the heart of who God is was one of the most striking things I was told. I don’t think I quite took it in at first, because it is profound in its implications. Later I came across the Buber-Rosenzweig translation of God’s name. The Hebrew, they say, suggests presence, not just “I am” but “I will be-there …” God will be-there with Moses, and with us, whatever we face.