Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.
 (Isaiah 6:3b NRSV)

I was encouraged several months ago to write a series of devotions to help everyday Christians navigate the current interreligious landscape. This first article in the series takes a look at differing religious perspectives on how God relates to the world.
 
There are three basic religious perspectives on how God relates to the world. The first perspective says that God and the world are indistinguishable. God is everywhere and everywhere is God. God is everything and everything is God. Within this perspective, the aim of human beings is to get in touch with the divine both within our own selves and within the world around us. We call this pantheism. There are at least two major problems with this perspective. First, if God is indistinguishable from creation, then it becomes real difficult for us to believe in this God in a world of stark realities like cancer, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Second, with this perspective, when bad and damaging things happen, there is no higher court of appeal.
 
The second perspective says that God and the world are far apart. God is distant and demands our respect. God set in motion the laws that govern the world. But God no longer appears or does anything within our sphere. We call this deism. The major problem with this perspective is well put by New Testament scholar N.T. Wright: "If I believed in a distant, remote God like that, I wouldn't get out of bed on a Sunday morning." If God is no longer active in the creation, why praise or serve this God on Sunday or any other day!
 
The third perspective is the classical approach taken by the major monotheistic faiths-- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This paradoxical perspective is beautifully communicated in the verse from Isaiah. God is both holy and distinct from the world. But God also fills the whole earth with his glory. The living God created a world that is other than himself. But this same God makes his presence heard, seen, and known within the creation. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once summarized this wonderful relationship between God and creation in a clear statement: "God is beyond in the midst of our lives."

Let us pray. . .
God, you are holy. You are the help that comes from outside of us. God, you fill us and all creation with your glory. You also intervene to be with us and for us. Thank you! Amen!

Contributed by Pastor Dan
Sunday March 6, 2011
Liturgical Year A: Week 15
Liturgical Color: White
Sunday Gospel reading:
Transfiguration of Our Lord