"And he said, 'There was a man who had two sons,'" Luke 15:11 |
Although we understand whenever the father is mentioned in the parable, Jesus is telling
his listeners about God, that still doesn’t explain to us who or what God is. In our everyday
life everyone and everything we see exists as separate and distinct forms. This
causes us to assume that God must also be a separate and distinct entity that
exists apart from us, and possibly separate from the visible universe as well. Many
religious and spiritual teachings describe God as existing somewhere that we are not, but would
probably enjoy being. Is that true? As stated in the previous chapter, at the most elemental
level of existence, quantum scientists have found that everything exists in
indivisible oneness. This model certainly disrupts the Newtonian paradigm describing God as
a master clockmaker who created a clockwork universe separate from Him, and keeps it in
perfect running order, but does so from a distance. The quantum paradigm forces us to
ask whether God could somehow exist outside the oneness of all that is, or be a
part of this oneness Himself.
Creation myths and stories from the world over describe a solitary Ultimate Reality that,
after dwelling as pure thought in eternity, is moved by the desire to experience as well as know.
To that end, this Being brings into existence other conscious beings. If you were absolutely
alone and wanted to make something, what would you make it out of? If nothing else existed,
you wouldn’t have much to choose from would you? If we accept the solitary existence of
the Creator, we must ask what his creations were made from. If nothing else
existed, there are no alternatives to the conclusion that God created out of the
materials of His own Being. This would mean, in a very real sense, that everything in
existence is made out of God and therefore is God. This is not so difficult to grasp when applied
to the pattern of our observable world; humans, animals and plants all create their offspring out
of themselves. But how would the Ultimate Reality go about birthing the universe out of Self?
The “Big Bang” model describes the beginning of the universe as a cosmic explosion of hot,
exceedingly dense matter that has not stopped expanding. Scientists estimate that at present
our universe is 14 billion light year deep: a light year is the 6 trillion mile distance light can travel
in one year moving at the rate of 186,000 miles per second. We won’t do the math, but these
figures certainly beg the question, what amount of “God Stuff” would be needed to support
such an expansion? An article entitled “New view of universe: Ours only one of many,” by
Dennis Overbye, published in the November 3, 2002 edition of the Sacramento Bee, reported
that in 1983 cosmologist Alan Guth introduced the theory of inflation. Guth’s theory suggested
that directly following the big bang, when the universe was less than a trillionth of a
trillionth of a second old, it experienced a brief, but hyper-explosive growth spurt,
one that was fueled by an anti-gravitational force embedded in space itself. Guth’s
theory is especially interesting to us, because it projected that these combined
forces had the potential to create our entire universe from roughly one ounce of
original material!
his listeners about God, that still doesn’t explain to us who or what God is. In our everyday
life everyone and everything we see exists as separate and distinct forms. This
causes us to assume that God must also be a separate and distinct entity that
exists apart from us, and possibly separate from the visible universe as well. Many
religious and spiritual teachings describe God as existing somewhere that we are not, but would
probably enjoy being. Is that true? As stated in the previous chapter, at the most elemental
level of existence, quantum scientists have found that everything exists in
indivisible oneness. This model certainly disrupts the Newtonian paradigm describing God as
a master clockmaker who created a clockwork universe separate from Him, and keeps it in
perfect running order, but does so from a distance. The quantum paradigm forces us to
ask whether God could somehow exist outside the oneness of all that is, or be a
part of this oneness Himself.
Creation myths and stories from the world over describe a solitary Ultimate Reality that,
after dwelling as pure thought in eternity, is moved by the desire to experience as well as know.
To that end, this Being brings into existence other conscious beings. If you were absolutely
alone and wanted to make something, what would you make it out of? If nothing else existed,
you wouldn’t have much to choose from would you? If we accept the solitary existence of
the Creator, we must ask what his creations were made from. If nothing else
existed, there are no alternatives to the conclusion that God created out of the
materials of His own Being. This would mean, in a very real sense, that everything in
existence is made out of God and therefore is God. This is not so difficult to grasp when applied
to the pattern of our observable world; humans, animals and plants all create their offspring out
of themselves. But how would the Ultimate Reality go about birthing the universe out of Self?
The “Big Bang” model describes the beginning of the universe as a cosmic explosion of hot,
exceedingly dense matter that has not stopped expanding. Scientists estimate that at present
our universe is 14 billion light year deep: a light year is the 6 trillion mile distance light can travel
in one year moving at the rate of 186,000 miles per second. We won’t do the math, but these
figures certainly beg the question, what amount of “God Stuff” would be needed to support
such an expansion? An article entitled “New view of universe: Ours only one of many,” by
Dennis Overbye, published in the November 3, 2002 edition of the Sacramento Bee, reported
that in 1983 cosmologist Alan Guth introduced the theory of inflation. Guth’s theory suggested
that directly following the big bang, when the universe was less than a trillionth of a
trillionth of a second old, it experienced a brief, but hyper-explosive growth spurt,
one that was fueled by an anti-gravitational force embedded in space itself. Guth’s
theory is especially interesting to us, because it projected that these combined
forces had the potential to create our entire universe from roughly one ounce of
original material!
This is possible, in part, because of the erroneously labeled “empty space” that takes up
approximately two-thirds of the area of the visible universe. Comparatively vast amounts of
space exist at the atomic level as well. Yes, an atom has a nucleus at its center containing
protons and neutrons, and electrons swirl around the nucleus, but these subatomic particles
take up only a minute portion of the atom, which consists of 99.99999999% space. To help
visualize this, imagine expanding an atom until it was a sphere 150 feet across; the nucleus of
the atom would be the size of a grain of salt and the electrons swirling around it would be no
more than a few motes of dust. With this in mind, we could also think of the universe as a
approximately two-thirds of the area of the visible universe. Comparatively vast amounts of
space exist at the atomic level as well. Yes, an atom has a nucleus at its center containing
protons and neutrons, and electrons swirl around the nucleus, but these subatomic particles
take up only a minute portion of the atom, which consists of 99.99999999% space. To help
visualize this, imagine expanding an atom until it was a sphere 150 feet across; the nucleus of
the atom would be the size of a grain of salt and the electrons swirling around it would be no
more than a few motes of dust. With this in mind, we could also think of the universe as a
Chapter Three
Who is the Father? Who are His Sons?
Who is the Father? Who are His Sons?
Knowing the Father
| Copyright © 2007 Oroborus Books Lee and Steven Hager |
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gigantic net, with the material portions of the universe
serving as the intertwined fibers of the net. Since it’s
impossible to have a net comprised only of fiber, it’s
necessary that spaces be left between the fibers. A net
with large spaces between the fibers may actually
consist of far more space than it does fiber, yet the fiber
and the spaces are both necessary components. As
with a literal net, the space that makes up such a large
portion or our universe is far from unimportant.
serving as the intertwined fibers of the net. Since it’s
impossible to have a net comprised only of fiber, it’s
necessary that spaces be left between the fibers. A net
with large spaces between the fibers may actually
consist of far more space than it does fiber, yet the fiber
and the spaces are both necessary components. As
with a literal net, the space that makes up such a large
portion or our universe is far from unimportant.