Apprentice

Have you ever thought that you were something like God? I have. I think I should quickly work on context to avoid offending anyone. When we say we are ‘like God’ we are generally not reviewed favorably. Terms like narcissist and arrogant come quickly to mind. Deranged might be another term that a listener or reader would give domicile.

So it is with trepidation that I would engage such a discussion with you. I have over the years developed a sort of religion of my own. I really think all of us do this, don’t we? We don’t all set it to writing or outline it in a way that goes to hardcover and results in a church of brick and stone, but don’t we all develop an understanding of what make sense to us spiritually?

My religion can’t be outlined in a simple post. If I wrote my own text it might take more years than I have left. It would also be a continual work in progress, and thank goodness for the invention of the word processor/computer or I would destroy a forest of wood pencils in the effort; probably because the erasers on the end would be long gone before the actual pencils were depleted.

Are we actually God? I don’t think so. Do we have the ultimate potential? I do think so. Robert Shapiro reminded me of this in a very insightful post about being apprenticed to God while we are here on earth. This is a wonderful phrase isn’t it? To be an apprentice to God is a remarkable concept and a challenging contemplation.

This idea honors my personal thinking about natural law and the existence of ‘all good’ that runs in unending supply if we allow the natural law of good to guide our behavior.

Wrapped in such an innocent phrase as ‘allow the natural good to guide’ we discover difficulties that confound the best of us. I continually search for the framework of natural law. I have discovered it is embedded in faith and love, little surprise. Robert reminded it is also framed by the benevolence of the Creator. Is there a higher challenge than to pursue the attributes we perceive our benevolent God to own? Is it shallow to believe that the world would find its grace and peace if all its occupants emulated every movement and thought of God? To work diligently at this task is the calling of being an ‘apprentice to God’ as Robert artfully phrases. A noble calling is it not?

The complexity of this concept is that we must first define the attributes of our God. This is subjective of course. Perhaps my natural law of the good is different from yours.

Still, if I could engage each day with this concept, the idea that God is beside me teaching me to become God also, like a young boy working alongside a master carpenter. If the boy is diligent and attentive, will he not learn the skills of the carpenter?

Is this the divine idea behind free will? Surely the Creator has free will. If we are to study for such ascension of our own, isn’t free will unavoidable as a task to master?

Mr. Shapiro has inspired me to bring this thought to your attention. In a world that ceaselessly begs our attention through other stimuli and other deceptions, can we find time to listen as any clumsy and unskilled apprentice is required to do? Through broken tools, bloodied fingers and being bone weary at night can we persevere and continue the lessons?

The dawn, with all its virginity and freedom competes with my dark nights. I’m cheering for the dawn.