Reflections on Doha climate negotiations: Thousands of Filipinos died in typhoons five years ago. Many thought it the will of God. Concerned about the impact of climate change on the poor, the Vatican asked local priests to tell parishioners that “it is man who disordered everything and we are suffering the consequence". WSJ 15 Oct 2007.
Similar stories from local communities in South Asia, Australia and around the world. The last two were previously posted on the blog Towards an eco-economy. Warning that we "cannot negotiate with the laws of nature", Bill McKibben, James Hansen and others are now engaging in civil disobedience to stop man-made climate change.

Typhoon floods in Manila area 2009 - from a Filipino blog

A Canadian Quaker, Bert Horwood, writes on "The will of God".

Human beings have many senses. We can detect and interpret numerous (but not all) chemicals in air and in water solutions. About one octave of the electromagnetic spectrum, a small section of the total, is detectable to our eyes; all the rest is darkness. We are sensitive to vibrations in the air within the limitations of our ear bones and nerves. The human frame can detect its own position and the force of gravity; the skin is aware of touch, radiant heat, pressure and stretching. Our gut tube continually supplies information about the degree of stretch or collapse of its walls.

But there are important physical components of the world to which we are oblivious. Dangerous radiation goes unnoticed. We have no feeling for the earth’s magnetic field. These forces are detectable only by instruments whose invention is central to the history of science. Humans also have no sense mechanism for spiritual energies. No one has invented an instrument to detect them and there are those who claim that they do not exist. (A possible exception may be the work of the Menninger Institute which measured electric fields generated by reputable spiritual healers.)

However, there is a long history of experience which can only be explained by thinking that human beings are able to feel something best described in mystical language, like “hearing the light.” Mystical language is maddening because its terms can’t be connected with more concrete reality. But somehow mystics recognize the experiences they share even when expressed in exotic terms. Poetry is better at this than prose.

Such experience might be thought to belong to a supernatural or paranormal realm. But given what we know about nature and the cosmos as a whole, I find it impossible to think that any-thing exists which is not part of nature. Poorly understood experiences aren’t supernatural or miraculous because we don’t know how they work.

These experiences get lumped together as “the will of god.” This is language common to the three monotheistic religions of Western Asia (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). The expression is used to explain otherwise inexplicable events such as a child being run down by a runaway bus. It even has legal standing as “an act of god” in some contracts. Many spiritual communities have developed techniques which they believe will enable them to discern what god’s will is.

US drought 2012 - from Farmers Guardian

Being dissatisfied with “the will of god” I need to find another way to understand and express this widespread human experience of being touched in some way by influences that are beyond our senses and our rationality. We know that chance, randomness and unpredictable dynamic chaotic systems are part of the universe. It’s hard to think that there’s personal god who has a will that directs events whether great or small. It’s hard to think that there is a god who wants us to guess what it is that she wants. Yet I’ve had the experiences that demand some sort of explanation, however shaky.

In a Quaker meeting we sit in silence with worshipful intention. Some call it expectant waiting on “xyz”, where xyz stands for words that have spiritual meaning for the speaker. Anyone in a meeting may rise and speak as they feel moved. Such speech is meant to be inspired at the time rather than planned. It is not unusual for such speeches to evoke reactions from others present. “I had exactly the same thought,” or “That was just what I needed to hear.” Of course coincidences happen but not this often. In another context, when Quakers are struggling to make a difficult decision that all can agree to despite strong differences in beliefs, it is not unusual after much earnest talk and listening, interspersed with periods of silent waiting, for a course of action to emerge that no one had thought of. Where do such evens come from?

My current guess is that humans, alone or in groups, can tune themselves to the power of the universe; that power which is present within and among every part of the cosmos. Practiced and gifted individuals find it easier to feel these “nudges of the spirit,” as I think of them. Groups with common intent and focussed silence are even better than individuals. The analogy of iron filings in a magnetic field appeals to me. We have no sense for detecting magnetic fields any more than we have a sense for the power of the universe. But when we sit, it’s as though we were allowing our selves to be aligned with a universal spiritual field.

Another appealing analogy is that the power of the universe is like a great river. This idea originates in Chinese literature where the unspeakable power of the universe, called tao (sounded roughly “dow”), is likened to running water. The metaphor appeals because it connects a diversity of experiences. A strong current carries us along with it; there is no doubt what the course before us is. But if the current is weak, directions are unclear. Sometimes, when the current is strong there are resistances and contrary influences; just like the rocks and eddies in a swift river. The tao, “the watercourse way,” flows on and wears down resistance just like a river washing away its banks and eroding the hardest rocks. The power of the universe, like the proverbial mills of the gods, may be delayed, but never denied.

Quakers have an expression “the promptings of love and truth.” This suggests a more down-to-earth understanding of the search for what is right, “god’s will.” Most of us have experienced love. We know that there is deep truth in our affairs which exists despite the layers of denial that bury it. The discernment of god’s will is finding and acting on the promptings of love and truth.

There are experiences which we call “spiritual.” These are common enough to be considered a normal, natural part of the world. We attribute these experiences according to our understanding of the nature of the universe. Because there is no sense organ for the cosmic influence we have no sensory language to describe the experiences or their source. There remains only imperfect analogies and sometimes precious silence. “The tao is spread out over the earth but no one knows it is there.”

*****

See also the Kabarak call to peace and ecojustice (April 2012) at http://saltandlight2012.org/FollowTheConference

Views: 154

Comment by James C Schultz on 12th mo. 11, 2012 at 3:05pm

But what if there is something bigger than the "universe"?  What if there are other universes?  What if there is something other than a material universe?  You have a lot of questions ahead of you, but that's good.  Keep trying to figure it out.  That's an important step on our life journeys.  And we each really have to figure it out for ourselves, at least for the most important parts.

Comment by Forrest Curo on 12th mo. 11, 2012 at 5:06pm

Nature, with your claw so red

(or so, at least, 'tis said) --

You aren't what modern men most dread --

but "supernatural" things, instead...

No matter what dreadful bed

your offer us to lay down dead

upon, it's not that awful Word we've fled.

Comment by Forrest Curo on 12th mo. 11, 2012 at 5:41pm

I couldn't resist the above, but have done some editing to make it a little verse.

Meanwhile, the climate disaster you speak of is just beginning, and is already quite serious. It's not nice to dare Mother Nature to stomp us -- as "our leaders" continue to do.

"Will of God." I am sure that God does intend a particular kind of result, and that result is not human suffering. But suffering is evidently necessary to human beings at the point of development we've reached so far. Nobody likes to hear a baby teething, but we do intend for the baby to have teeth.

Comment by Forrest Curo on 12th mo. 12, 2012 at 1:41pm

It bothers me that I haven't done justice to a long, thoughtful, concerned post.

God isn't separate from "nature" -- but does transcend it. Furthermore, by nature we're all dead. Our grandchildren, from what we've been doing and continue to do, will lead short brutish lives enjoying a full-scale die-off occasioned by ruined soil, erratic rainfall, and rising seas -- a event culminating in a few centuries with a typical mass extinction from hydrogen sulfide bacteria overrunning an overheated, stagnant ocean, by the best understanding of nature we have available.

That's not even the only  species-threatening terminal condition available. In none of them are people overall recognizing the situation or taking appropriate action.

So, between nature and human politics it is not looking good. Even so far as human beings are in control, they themselves are out of control. We can't rely on any human effort, strategic plan I can imagine to pull us through all this.

Is it "God's will" that we all die? I really don't think so either. I do think we're getting a wake-up call, to turn in desperation to the Mind/Heart of this universe (aka "God"), as we find this embodied in ourselves as well. We need to re-evaluate what's "real" and Who's really in charge, follow that Guidance and trust in Hsr good will for a change.

Comment by Olivia on 12th mo. 12, 2012 at 9:54pm


Hello David,

Wow, what a great post.  Thanks for sharing. 

A friend suggested that I read this and I'm glad I did.    I love what you've done with it.  
Boy, those who define the "will of God" as something that 'takes out' the poor and suffering and abused of this earth .... those folks have another think coming if they turn out to face the 'judgement day' of their own tradition.  

I believe that God/Jesus always sides with the poor, the abused, the suffering, ALWAYS....   there's not a lot of wiggle room on that in the New Testament....

Because of your vulnerable acknowledgements of where you're coming from, I think I can manage to do the same in return. I hope it comes out alright.  I am towards the end of a clearness committee process in which  it is developing to recognize gifts as a spiritual healer.  I have a lot of experiences with the Divine, natural, and evil "forces" or "presences" that you speak about.  

My sense of things so far in a nutshell is that:  all energy starts out Divine, by definition, no matter what it is.  All fresh energy from the Creator / from the Creative Source of the Universe.... is always Divine.  When it is not allowed full freedom of flow (such as when human beings repress their anger or fears, or when we have a traumatic injury and can't handle all the pain, etc.)   the energy becomes stifled / repressed / stagnant.    If it gets stagnant enough (maybe we could say "if it expires"), it becomes in an evil state.   So all energy that is allowed to flow, feel, express, release, surrender, etc.  brings the good, and all energy that is stifled expresses something less good (and if stifled long enough or generationally) it can be in an evil form. [But even that can be "redeemed."   Everything can. ]

I don't know really how that relates to climate change, other than in the individual hearts and choices of human beings and other divine creatures.  I expect that the fossil fuels are still divine, as are we, as are the other creatures of this planet....and in this sense it's all the natural / divine stuff you speak of.     And to the degree we hold back what we're given to work with (and we all do this in a million ways, really)  that's less Light coming through, more kinked up garbage infecting and informing our decisions and our thinking.  

But  I don't think anything we are doing ever catches our Divine Source / God    off guard.   That is to say, I don't think God calls what's happening "chaos."    Maybe cause and effect?   Maybe a struggle between good and evil?  But not chaos.  

You said "Yet I’ve had the experiences that demand some sort of explanation, however shaky."
If you want, please feel free to write me offline if you want to compare notes about any of this. 

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