God as a "living and working" Universe

John — Wed, 23 May 2007 14:54:32 +0000

Suppose at the beginning of time there was only Intelligence - and nothing else!
Who is it - What is it?
Who knows - because there is nothing else with which it can compare? As comparison is the only means by which measurement, analysis, knowledge and understanding are achieved, what is to be done?
By its very nature intelligence is inquisitive. So how does this Intelligence begin the mighty task of establishing who and what it is all about?
The answer I would suggest is to ‘Create’ an infinite number of different aspects of it. Through the experiences created by these differing aspects interacting with each other in a constantly changing environment, this Intelligence can gradually build up a picture of who and what it is and its capabilities. “Balance” is the means by which this information is created, assessed, retained, refined or discarded.
This is my personal slant on what Science refers to as ‘The Big Bang’ and Religion calls Creation, in which a vast amount of energy was applied to an immense task of investigation and understanding.
As time has passed many and various aspects that have been created have been retained, refined or obsoleted, depending upon ‘what works’ and ‘what does not work’ in a process of comparison and balance that we call Evolution.
If we look at the shark for example, it reached perfection millions of years ago. It continues to operate within this thing called life without seeming to endanger the subtle balances in its own environment - it works!
Conversely the internal combustion engine reached perfection 100 years ago and through its interaction with the atmosphere is now contributing to unsettling the balance of the environment. This imbalance cannot be remedied unless it is obsoleted, or dramatically changed from its present form - it doesn’t work!
These two examples have one thing in common - their ability to function within an integrated and evolving universe - a ‘living and working’ universe - and in so doing add another piece to the vast jigsaw puzzle that is Creation.
Similar experiences on every new and diverse aspect of life are generated continuously as this ‘Intelligence’ goes about the business of gaining knowledge and understanding. Evolution is the direct result of this generation of information, which also fuels new experience and knowledge.
Ancient (and modern) Wisdoms extol us to ‘live in the present’. The past and future are two aspects of life over which we have no control. If the purpose of life is to experience then the past has served its purpose and the future is waiting to do its job. By living in the present we too fulfil our role as elements of this Intelligence, experiencing every moment of our lives to the full.
Time (in human years) offers some idea of the magnitude of the task, and the miniscule and detailed level of understanding that is sought. It is at this point that I find human values are totally inadequate to try and even begin to estimate the magnitude of information gathering that is going on and the manner in which it is happening. However the simplicity of this description of what life is all about answers for me the ‘paradox, pain and perfection’ that is life.

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God as a "living and working" Universe