I think it's amusing that we try to quantify God, and argue about what He is or whether He is. We haven't even figured out how to get along with each other, yet we think we can understand the logic and processes of an omniscient being?
Aight.
I'm not saying there is no merit in discussing it, or wanting to know. Or even believing one way or the other. I'm just saying it seems ridiculous to accept, with as little as we truly know, that we have the insight and information to make credible declarations.
Hey - welcome to the thread & discussion at hand.
I can see it from your angle why you would think that. However, from my own experience, coming to know God had enabled me to fully understand and "get along" with other people.
Before becoming a Christian, all I knew was "me". How can I make myself happy? I tried to study as hard as I could, to get the best job that I could, to make as much money as I could. All I wanted was a comfortable life, for my self (and my family as well, but it hardly went beyond that). I never saw the point of "helping others". Don't get me wrong, I am a nice guy, nice enough to not cause conflict with others, but it never did go beyond that.
I never did see the point of helping a homeless person, for example - as there is nothing for me to gain. I just don't have the "heart" for it. I'd flick past those "Extreme Makeover" shows and say to myself "What's the point?".
Fast forward a few years - I went to church for the first time with one of my friends out of interest. Somebody was speaking on stage and he said "You know, it's weird, but
while most people wanted get rid of "suffering" in their lives, Christians have a habit of "running" towards those that are suffering and helping them. This made me think of all the charitable things Christian Organizations do in remote parts of the worlds and thinking "What compelled them to do those things"? That moment was the beginning of my walk to faith in Christ.
Fast forward again 1.5 year, which is where I am now. I've done the "Alpha Course" and researched into what Christ had done for us and the historical evidence supporting that. I've accepted Christ in my heart and have started praying. After some time, I've come to realize that
God loved us enough to have created us, he is here with us each and everyday. Once we love God with all our hearts it has enabled me to understand the pain of others who are also living, breathing, trying to survive on this earth. And because God is our God, their pain is inherently "my pain". I do feel this deeply in my heart.
Now, I cannot walk past someone needing help on the street without helping them. If an old lady needed someone to talk to, my natural expression is to comfort her, help her, be her friend. Not out of pity, or politeness, or any selfish gains, but out of the realization that we are one, we are together, bounded by the love of God who had created us.
Some may question the existence of God.
But one cannot deny the "Love" we feel when we truly connect with another human being. The Love of a mother is so tangible to me that it's ultimately what "Truth" is. When you experience that, you can't help but realize that - amongst all the chaos in the world and the suffering that exists, there is 1 Truth that is Love.
And I think that's what God had intended for us - to
love one another as you love yourself.
