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How Might We Know God?

People say that it is impossible to know God. This is, for the most part, a correct statement. It is impossible for the limited mind to understand at the same level as the unlimited mind. Yet, the Sempiternal Harmonist would know that it is possible to understand as much of God, the unknowable, as a person has ability to be conscious of his or her environment. We understand that our Divine Parent is both knowable and unknowable. We begin to understand the unknowable by understanding the knowable. For example one method of meditation, the discipline of practice in being aware of how one fits into an environment at a particular moment, is the starting point for awareness, understanding and thus knowledge. This is not a mysterious concept; it is the basis of the scientific method taught to children for many generations.

Being aware fills the mind with its place in the universe. It helps us understand that we are limited to our natural boundaries and that we tend to think in dichotomies. Perhaps that is the reason physicists developed the "big bang" theory of the origin of the universe. Einstein, could conceive of two potential paths to the conclusion of the universe which were that either the universe would expand to some maximum point were it would then collapse upon itself ending as it began in pure energy or it would continue to expand to a point were the gravitational attraction of the bodies would no longer be a factor causing them to reach the speed of light thus becoming pure energy. The point here is that these amazing ideas are the product of a mind that must explain nature in beginnings and endings.

Modern quantum mechanics, looking for a unified theory, is attempting to look across the boundaries of beginning and ending to pose the possibility of multidimensional elements that affect our three dimensional, sensory universe. Many think this is looking toward the divine. Here the ancient ideas of an Infinite, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Power, which are attributes of the Ultimate Divine creator, can coalesce with natural understanding of nature to produce a new religious understanding.

The ancient world scriptures have asked us to seek the Divine within ourselves, other people, and nature. Through the use of examples, the Prophets and sages explained the concept of the Divine in words common for their time, place and ability of the people to understand. Today is a new time and the place is a world wide community with understanding never before achieved by human beings. While considering our spirituality, much still depends on faith, yet when compared to two or four thousand years ago our awareness of nature is exponentially greater.

Combining the ideas of quantum physics and spirituality might seem bazaar to the vast majority of religious scholars and followers of the traditional ways, but consider the possibilities. Many religious people, even if they believe in many gods and demy gods, like saints, can easily accept the idea of an All Powerful unseen God. It seems natural for them to accept the idea that God is the Infinite Power (?). As physicists develop the connection between the third dimension and other dimensions at the molecular level it seems obvious that the rational mind would assume a connection to the Infinite Power.

Consider the idea that at the time of the creation of the universe every element of every atom in the universe sprang into being from an extra-dimensional source. For those who understand basic algebra it might be analogous to factoring an equation. The factored equation is equal to the more complicated one, it has just changed forms. If we think about the start of our three dimensional, sensory universe in this way it is possible to conclude that the essence Infinite Devine Power is as close to us as atoms that make up every cell in our body. The same is true of every other person, animal, vegetable, and mineral in the cosmos. We are the sensory manifestation of the Infinite Power, God. The writer of Genesis, all those centuries ago, truly told the story.

If this is true why do we fight and kill each other? We do this because many of us hold on to cultural concepts, often many thousands of years old, that are not compatible with present day communication, transportation, and ways of living. The vast majorities of human beings live in a twenty first century setting, but will suffer and die in a belief that was meant for a people long dead. And, in many cases these ideas continue to be taught in a missionary zeal around the world. It is important at this point to mention that people who live in an isolated, primal atmosphere must be respected and allowed to live as they chose. In other words, if a people live in a primal village on the banks of the Amazon River the world community must respect those people's privacy and way of life. For them God exists in a way that is as close as their breath. The irony is that for us moderns God is also as close as our breath. When we worship our Divine Parent it seems that our most respectful and fulfilling adoration might be as simple as enjoying the beauty of the flowers in the field, the flight of birds, the plaintive call of a wolf, or the sound of prays chanted in a tongue we don't understand. This is the path of compassion. It is the song of love. It is the quietude of respect.

And, that is a way for understanding God from a Sempiternal Harmonist point of view. Every smell, sight, sound, taste, feel is a manifestation of God because every atom is a product of the Infinite Divine Power. Sitting in meditation, viewing a beautiful scene, smelling a fart, hearing the distress in a baby's cry, tasting food, are a few examples of the many forms of worship for the mindful Sempiternal Harmonist. Being thankful for these things is awareness of our place in the divine cosmos. Interacting with other people can be communion with God. How might it be if we act as though we were in the presents of God when we come into each other's company? It is the goal of a Sempiternal Harmonist to find out.