Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, etc.

While I NO LONGER make any claims to be “religious,” practice any religious faith, or have anything to do with any kind of religion, faith, or the practice thereof, there are some things that, it seems to me, if there was a god/dess, such a being would be unlike us in practically every way… at least most of us.

Such a “god/goddess” or supreme being, would be concerned with our lives, the lives of humans on Earth, and with practically, or actually, every picayune thing associated with life here on this planet.

The relationship of humans to one another, to each other, the relationship of humans to the planet upon which they live, and upon which they rely as the very source of life itself, for food, for water, for clothing, for housing, for EVERYTHING — EVERY LITTLE THING — that pertains to life, including every minuscule joy, or momentary and passing pleasure, happiness, the taste of food, of smell, perfumes, aromas, all kinds of love, including sexual pleasures… ALL THAT would be a concern of a supreme/divine being, simply because that being loves those who live upon, and from, the Earth.

There is no god/goddess/supreme/diving being like that. At least there is none like that preached from most pulpits in churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and other houses of worship. And so, therefore, by virtue of that lack, that absence, I am led to conclude, that substantial lack, that fundamental absence of such a being — that again, being a being which is so full of love, and wisdom, that it cannot help but give, for giving is its very nature — that there is not such a one. There is no god/goddess/creator/divine being.

Yet, as a scientist, I must admit that we do not yet know, nor can prove, and so therefore, it is reasonable and rational to suppose that the possibility might exist, however small, that there might be such an one. But again, the likelihood is so minuscule, so microscopic, that its practically (for all practical purposes) non-existent. If it, the possibility, were but one grain of sand on the Earth, it would be so substantial, so life-changing. But those who have changed their lives have done so themselves, some with help of others, while others have done it alone. Jesus of Nazareth is even reputed to have told the renown parable story known widely as “The Prodigal Son” who “came to himself,” or as some versions put it, “finally came to his senses.” There is no indication that the son had any help in the matter.

But, it’s nice to think about the possibilities that a “supernatural,” even divine being exists, because again, if it were so, it would be a global game-changer. But, it’s also nice to think about eating all the ice cream, cake, pie, and other sweet treats that one could possibly want, without having any adverse side effect, like weight gain.

And so, this creature, this divine/supreme being… I think about a song which became popular some years ago — “One Of Us” ( ASCAP Work ID: 893894724 & ISWC: T9298308562) — which is the official title of a song written by Eric M. Bazilian (ASCAP IPI: 51309704), which was performed and popularized by Joan Osborne. The song published by READYWARDMUSIC, 5615 FAIRVIEW AVE N, SHOREVIEW, MN 55126; (651)784-7380; EH9322@YAHOO.COM, became a global smash hit, making the Number 1 position in some nations, the Top 20 hits in 12 nations, and peaking at Number 4 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and in the process, earning performer songstress Joan Osborne 3 Grammy nominations in 1995 when it was released.

The song’s partial lyrics are:

If God had a name, what would it be?
And would you call it to his face
If you were faced with Him in all His glory?
What would you ask if you had just one question?

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us?
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make His way home?

If God had a face, what would it look like?
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like Heaven and in Jesus and the saints
And all the prophets?

It seems to me, that, good, bad, or indifferent, the human heart WANTS to “believe” in something outside of ourselves, something that is like us, but mostly not like us, something better than us — far, far, exceedingly better than us all — but that, that “something,” has a tie, a connection to us, a fundamentally unifying identity to, and with, us all. Every culture in the history of humanity has had some form of deity, “god(s)” and/or “goddess(es)” to suit themselves, and yet, over time, each one waned in popularity, for one reason, or another.

And that is precisely why the Christian religion has become so phenomenally popular — and why the Catholic church has been so successful in their evangelization/proselytizing efforts over the centuries, indeed the past two millennia. Today’s modern evangelical movement has, in some way, copied the most successful components of the Catholic church’s efforts — to identify the god with the downtrodden of the culture. To Africans, that god has Black-toned skin, to Asians, that god is Asian — you get the idea. And that is precisely what the Apostle Paul wrote that he did — “I was everything to every person that I might give life to every person.” 1 Corinthians 9:22b (ABPE). By identifying WITH the society, WITH the culture, they work to integrate themselves into the people.

And, for what it’s worth, the Democrats have NOT done a very good job of that, whereas in stark contrast, the Republicans have… meaning those from both wings of the now-bizarre party, specifically being those who have not hijacked it to their lying, deceiving, and conniving god, the 45th President, and those who have a somewhat reasonable, and level head about them.

By so doing, it presents a hero, a champion, a defender of the weak, a deity, a savior, a god, as having a unique identification with the poor, and downtrodden, having been conceived out of wedlock to a young virgin girl of an outcast people who was perhaps 13, 14, or at oldest, maybe 15, whose betrothed was an older, working-class man, a carpenter, and the couple, who suffered along the way of her pregnancy, and shortly thereafter, with threats of death from an overbearing an tyrannical governmental ruler, whose childhood we know little of, but for a few “sneak peeks” of “features to come,” and then, suddenly appears on-scene as a full-grown, nearly-middle-aged young adult in his 30’s who lives an itinerant lifestyle, presumably gay (showing no interest women, but intimate friends of 12 burly men), allegedly performing miracles, and showing great learned insight, though he had no formal education whatsoever.

He’s considered a prophet by some, by others a/the son of a god, a divine being, perfectly suited for the task of being a “sacrificial lamb” to “take away the sins of the world,” who is then betrayed and ultimately martyred, but is alleged to have been resurrected from the dead after three days in a tomb, protected by a huge boulder, and Roman sentinels. Following that alleged resurrection, he is supposed to have appeared first to a prostitute whom be befriended, then to a few others, some with whom he walked who mistook him for a gardener, and then later, ate a fish breakfast on the shores of a nearby giant lake/sea, before suddenly and mysteriously ascending out of their view into the sky, like a spaceship, or rocket… though no mention, nor suggestion is made of the speed of such event.

Yah… it’s a decent story, reasonably told, but too-far-fetched to be even truthful.

Nevertheless… the Reverend Doctor David L. Barnhart recently wrote an entry in his blog DaveBarnhart.WordPress.com which I found heartwarming, and encouraging, and if there was a supreme divine being, the attributes mentioned in this prayer (formally, prayer is a supplication, or request, and the term itself is frequently used in legal circles and courts the world over) is but one aspect of such an one… if that one existed.

---

A Christmas Prayer for a Changing Climate

by the Reverend Doctor David L. Barnhart, EdD, CCMHC, NCC, LPC

Lord, you said that if I had faith the size of a mustard seed
I could tell this mountain, “get lost,”
And it would throw itself into the sea.
I don’t know if I have that much faith.
But I ask that you would
Stop
Those who move mountains to reach the coal underneath.
That you would
Stop
Those who dump their waste into the sea.
That, in the words of the psalmist,
You would break the teeth of the liars,
Those false prophets who played in the snow just a few years ago,
Asking, “What climate change?”
That you would make their lying tongues cleave to the roof of their mouths.
That those who sell the needy for a pair of slippers
That those who buy expensive things while they made unjust laws
That those who have sold our children’s futures
Would sink to the bottom of the sea with their yachts,
Heavy as hundreds of millstones,
That they would become food for the fish whose oceans they’ve choked with plastic.
I ask that you would knock down prisons
Built with covid money.
I ask, as John did, that you would destroy those who destroy the earth,
Because though I do not have faith the size of a mustard seed,
I have rage the size of a mountain.
Let the mountains fall on them, Lord.
Let those who legislate poverty,
Let those who tread down the good pasture with their feet
And muddy the rivers with their excess
Be washed away by the rising tides.
And if any of my own wealth has been unjustly gained,
Return it fourfold
To those from whom it was stolen
To the people,
The plants
The rivers,
And the land.
And when all I have is gone,
Leave me with faith
The size of a mustard seed. Amen.

---

Scripture references:
Matthew 17:20
Psalm 58:6
Job 29:10
Amos 2:6
Isaiah 10:1
Matthew 18:6
Luke 4:18
Revelation 11:18
Luke 23:30
Ezekiel 34:18
Luke 19:8