God-given? Where, if at all, does God come into this? Do you believe in God? Do I? Is my openness to the possibility of God's existence a form of wishful thinking stemming from an existential fear of the void (as certain atheists would have it)? Am I naive to consider that there might be an intelligent, personal energy behind creation that is upwardly-directed, that is good?
I would say that I hold more of an open-minded philosophical/spiritual/biological position than a religious one. And if God does exist then He surely cannot be confined, by His very nature, to a mere label or idea?
(whisper: if a dog can hear sounds that we cannot hear (which demonstrates that we have limits to our existing senses), then why can we not say that other 'things' exist beyond the realms of our existing senses?)
(further whisper: if I can spin a plastic bag full of water around my head so fast that it almost disappears from your vision, perhaps there are other 'things' moving at a similar or greater speed that your eyes cannot currently perceive?)
In 'The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth' by M Scott Peck (Arrow, 1978) (buy here), Peck pointed to the inbuilt instinct to growth in the human being, with an accompanying downward tendency that we are challenged to resist. Perhaps the 'upward' instinct is God, is thriving, is growth, is well-being, is life itself? Does it really need a name if it leads us to a 'good' life?
Certainly I could try to stop imagining and projecting my idea of what He is like, and just be .... open. If He did then happen along, I might at least be able to perceive him without being blinded by my own pre-conceived, invented Monty Python cardboard cut-out version!
Gasp!
All I can do, maybe, is lead my life (as Jordan Peterson has suggested in his own torturous peregrinations) as though He exists. It can't be a bad way to live, can it, if God is indeed love?
I have come to think that our idea of love is actually a bit limited. It is easy to love the loveable, especially those in our family or circle of friends. But some people are really hard to love, certainly on an emotional level. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't try to find understanding for a person's ways, and I can certainly find things to appreciate in him. Understanding and appreciation are qualities of love that do not depend on 'emotion' being present. To try to understand, rather than just automatically dislike, is more a 'decision' than a 'feeling'. Perhaps we can see God in action in these consciously-made decisions? In other words, don't mistake sentiment for love. Love is a decision.
Another of the ways in which one might say that God is observable (since, like the wind, He can only be seen through the effect of its/His presence) is through observing the upward, positive benefits to the immune system when ‘Godly’ qualities are called into play. The act of kindness, the receiving of kindness, and even the observation of acts of kindness, have been shown to boost the immune system. Appreciation and gratitude (again, 'qualities' of love), have an equally positive effect!
THERE'S MORE!
In a church, a place of peace, we are flooded with light, with colour, from the stained glass windows. Did the early Church fathers, and their architects, know how light and colour, not to speak of certain acoustics and chants, have beneficial effects upon our bodies, our minds, our neurological systems, and our very immune systems? Perhaps!
GREGORIAN CHANT: 285 Hz FREQUENCY TISSUE HEALING CELL REGENERATION
"285hz frequency helps to return cells into its original form. It reduces the pain, enhances immune system, and rapidly heals your damaged tissue.
"In the Solfeggio scale, the frequency of 285 Hz is said to be directly connected to our genetic blueprint for optimal health and physical well-being. It is known to promote the healing of damaged tissue and other physical wounds, as well as on internal organs.
"The 285Hz vibrations are supposed to support the body in its cellular regeneration, encouraging it to heal itself in the event of an injury and also enhance the immune system as a whole.
Solfeggio frequencies form part of an ancient scale that was rediscovered in the early 70’s. They are a tone sequence of special tonal frequencies. Originally used in Gregorian chants for centuries, they recently were brought to everybody’s attention for their healing powers." (watch here).
FEAR AND IMMUNE FUNCTION
We know that fear and anxiety can compromise our immune systems, not to mention our thinking, our stability.
A person fortunate enough to have a brain well-wired by good & loving nurturing, and well-formed by good nutrition, is less likely to react adversely to fear and stress when times become difficult, and therefore will have a chance to make better, more measured and more reasoned choices.
A neglected and abused child, conversely, can be seen as avoidably but nevertheless physiologically geared to stress, fear, instability, violence and crime. Rage is a more likely response for him in stressful situations than a slower, more rational response.
In that physiological reality, morals for him are nothing but words, concepts. You cannot blame an unattended kettle for boiling over and scalding the cat if you yourself lit the flame under the kettle and then left the kitchen.
As the Sufi poet Hafiz said, morals can be seen as learning wheels on a bicycle, no longer necessary when true love and its according stability and balance has been established.
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