Lately (within the past month) I have been squeezing in reading a few books that had inspiration for thoughts about God. First of all, I went back and reread "The Golden Compass" and its sequels which is known to be a very adamant atheist series. The first time around when I read it, I didn't remember it to be so and decided it would be good to find out why.
The answer to that one was easy. I didn't know God back then.
In the second book, they begin talking about god and how the main character's dad, Lord Asriel, was going to try to kill him. This god they spoke of was referred to as "The Authority." The reason I don't capitalize this god is he's not God. And anyone who knows Him sees that right away. The Authority was tired of the human race, indifferent, and no longer even ran things, he gave over authority to an angel and decided to wipe out the whole race down to a single Adam and Eve again.
I didn't even recognize this god. He wasn't even a good parody of God. How could the true Creator of all that is and was and every will be not love His creations?
He tells us He does and has proved it countless times, the biggest example being Christ. In this series, there was no mention of Christ and I could understand why. "The Authority" never would have sacrificed himself to save us, but God did.
In the next book, "Wicked" the minister at the beginning uses an odd name for God. He keeps saying, "The Unnamed God" and makes all these crazy assumptions. One of the biggest lies was "God wants me to be content, without strife in this life." Ha.
Then I realized that he doesn't know God either. How could he know Him and say He is unnamed? He is not unnamed! He is Christ, He is the Great I Am! Name Him and love Him.
Just like in "A Wind in the Door," there is a concept of people being named and naming people. Once you name someone, you can't help but love them for who they are, as they are, good and bad. God gave us some of His names. Every time I use one, I get this thrill of love in my stomach.
What then saddened me is that these views are real ones. I mean, there are really, actively people out there who don't know Him for who He is. All god is to them is an absent, angry, unknowable being or else someone who demands obedience but does not earn it.
My God is the God of Love. He's my Dad and actively interested in my every thought. He's a God who wants my best, not my comfort, and He would love me if I didn't obey His laws, but I do and only serve Him gladly, not out of a sense of should haves.
I am proud to say I know Him and that's about all I'm really proud about: That He is my God!
