Friday, September 3, 2010

The God of my Understanding


I read yesterday that reknowned physicist Stephen Hawking said that God had no role in the creation of the universe. In his new book "The Grand Design," he says that given the existence of gravity, "the universe can and will create itself from nothing."  My first thought was that perhaps gravity is his Higher Power.

He further states, “Some would claim the answer ...... is that there is a God who chose to create the universe that way. It is reasonable to ask who or what created the universe, but if the answer is God, then the question has merely been deflected to that of who created God. In this view it is accepted that some entity exists that needs no creator, and that entity is called God. This is known as the first-cause argument for the existence of God. We claim, however, that it is possible to answer these questions purely within the realm of science, and without invoking any divine beings."

That's the wonder of this program--that I can have a God of my understanding that can be whatever is greater than I.  And that covers a lot of things, including gravity and many other forces of nature. 

Before Al-Anon, my Higher Power happened to be whoever I was in love with at the time.  I would spend most of my time thinking about that person.  That continued until there was irrefutable evidence that another person being my Higher Power was just not going to work.  For one thing,  there wasn't any unconditional love coming from people.  Eventually, even my parents couldn't give me that.  And relying on another person for my happiness turned out to be a big fiasco.  So I was left in disbelief and a whole lot of doubt. 

When I worked Steps Two and Three, the God of my understanding started out being the Al-Anon group itself.  I could see their collective wisdom for a long time, until I began to see that they too struggled.  I now have focused more on my HP as being a force of energy that encompasses all of those who are with me now and all those who have come before.  This "composite" spiritual being gently nurtures me and loves me regardless of my character defects. It is now a trust that I have and a confidence that no matter how bad things are, my HP that is something greater than me, will see me through. 

I feel closest to my HP when I'm near the water and watch the waves and might of the ocean. Even though there can be confused seas and turbulent times, there is an eternal rhythm to the waves given by the tides. Our lives will also ebb and flow but the HP will be there to keep us in rhythm.

14 comments:

  1. This post brings me a lot of peace. The pictures are perfect and I love them.

    Peace,
    PG

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  2. I read that too about what Stephen Hawking said, and it kind of bothered me. I think it bothered me because my belief in my hp seems fragile sometimes. But in the end, my hp set me straight....

    beautiful post, Syd.

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  3. The fact that I can choose my own concept of a HP has made it possible for me to stay in AA.

    A good friend of mine is in AA and has a wife who also is a member but can't stop slipping. He asked me about Alanon and I have given him your blog site because all of the Alanon mtgs here are just women. I know he will gain so much just by "tuning in" to you, Syd, as a male member of Alanon.

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  4. i love this post, i read mr. hawkings article as well, and the backlash he received. i wonder when did religion become a corporation?
    remember when oprah said bad things about beef?

    like marcia, it bothered me for the very same reason. as it stands i have never been a religious person, but today i am spiritual, and i don't need all the answers.

    your title with the dolphins jumping was perfect, that is a higher power.

    i think stephen hawking is an amazing soul and spirit and i respect him as a person. sometimes things are just scary, they are not any reason to condemn. now watch glenn beck start riding on this one with his tea party psychos!!! they will burn that man at the stake for what he said, and in the media!!

    i think it is good to have an open mind today.

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  5. My HP was also whoever I was in love with at the time....Oh I spent countless hours obsessing over them hoping they would love me. It was sad really expecting them to fill me up and make it OK. This is hostage taking and not allowing the relationship to move and grow. I lived in alot of fear. The program has given me a new lease on dealing with my life.

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  6. nice one syd...in our ignorance we can create a god of many things...and once our eyes are opened....we realise how those other things shift like the sand...

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  7. It would be wonderful if the world at large was so accepting of the concept of one's Higher Power as that of AA and Al-Anon.

    I embraced Pantheism as my religious philosophy. Once I realised that my Higher Power was all around me in the Earth and the Universe, I found a faith that I could come to terms with.

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  8. Poor Mr. Hawking.

    Have a good weekend Mr. Syd!

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  9. :) I love the photos within the post, the description surrounding them brings a picture of serenity.

    Love that I can feel the spirit working in all worlds now and that those religious people, even all who seem to follow the religious ideas challenge me to see so much more God than I ever saw before. It's like I hang out with all now and see how blessed we are and how many miracles happen daily and I find that God is revealed through all things. He is everything to me.

    :)

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  10. I've always said that I feel closer to God when I'm sitting by the ocean. When I was pregnant with my daughter, back in 1983, I was living in Kill Devil Hills, NC, on the Outer Banks. I spent a lot of time considering the ocean and meditating with it. I worked right across the street from it and could look at it anytime I liked.

    Why I feel closer to God at the ocean escapes me and is, in the end, unimportant. THAT I feel close to my HP is the most important thing. Maybe a trip to the beach is in order.

    Peace - D

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  11. Thank you, Syd: It truly is "The God of MY understanding."

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  12. Step Two is why AA works for me. I wouldn't do well if I was forced to believe in someone else's conception of HP.

    As an alcoholic I tend to be very resistant when given orders and absolutes. AA gives me the room to be myself and develop my own understandings.

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  13. I love this:
    My first thought was that perhaps gravity is his Higher Power.

    I, too, feel a higher presence mostly near bodies of water, particularly the ocean. The mountains seem to work pretty well, also.

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Let me know what you think. I like reading what you have to say.