Creator Awareness

So blogging is just like a diary for me. I am sequential enough that just jumping in on a topic is torturous. I have so much in my head, where do I start and when? Well here's my best attempt at being random. Here I go on a topic...

I was reading this morning in the book Wisdom of Solomon. It is a part of many Christian Bibles, "inbetween" the Hebrew writings (although they are themselves still generally Hebrew I think) and the Christian era writings. They have been valued and studied to varying degrees in Jewish/Christian traditions for centuries. However, being from a rather conservative tradition, I'm just now discovering them.

Just a quick note going in on gender pronouns. I believe God is beyond our created male and female existance. I choose to use the traditional masculine pronoun, not because I ascribe to the gendering of God or to a patriarchal system but because in my language, English, (Latin/Greek based) throughout it's history and development, the masculine pronoun implied life; the feminine was inanimate. My God is living and knowable, not made of stone or lifeless. So I choose to use the masculine pronouns. Because God declares himself to be one not many, I still use a singular pronoun. However unfortunate and inconvenient these labels are, I am choosing to use them for the sake of simplicity. When you see "He" or "Him" please see these as outside of our typical use of these pronouns and remove from them the gender baggage they carry today.

This particular passage I discovered about a year ago but it keeps coming back to me. I think of it when I try to reconcile what I know about my God and His ways and what healing techniques I discover in alternative/complementary medicine and science. I believe in a Creator who exists in, around and reveals Himself through His creation. I also believe an enemy of God exists, spiritual forces working contrary to the Creator attempting to thwart God's way in my life and in all of creation. As a result, I desire to only avail myself of means fitting with the way I perceive God works and in ways fitting with His character. Some of the methods based in Eastern/Chinese mysticism base their power in concepts contrary to my worldview. That's a subject for another blog.

I find it best to ask questions. One of the first questions I ask when determining if a healing method is wise for me to practice or learn, is to examine the power source. Does it rely on a power contrary to the will of the Creator? If it does, I do not invite it into my methods. A second question is, "Am I giving the method the power to heal and not giving the credit to my Creator?" Is the power in the method nothing more than the way God designed the element to work to bring healing? An example: it appears some gems give off infrared heat. Some claim this power belongs to the stone or perhaps a spiritual force controlling the stone. Is it possible, the stone is merely doing the will of it's Creator who made it and the body, also a creation is responding the way it was designed to do?

The God revealed in my Scriptures does not share glory or worship with another. To do so is idolatry and breaks the first and most fundamental of the Ten Commandments in the Scriptures. This is why I love the passage in Wisdom. It clarifies why elemental Chinese medicine shouldn't be used without an understanding of the Creator who is above all and in all.

Here's what it says and I'll comment a little more after:
For all people who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know the one who exists, nor did they recognize the artisan while paying heed to his works; but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air, or the circle of the stars, or turbulent water, or the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world. If through delight in the beauty of these things people assumed them to be gods, let them know how much better than these is their Lord, for the author of beauty created them.

And if people were amazed at their power and working, let them perceive from them how much more powerful is the one who formed them. For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator. Yet these people are little to be blamed for perhaps they go astray while seeking God and desiring to find him. For while they live among his works, they keep searching and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are beautiful. Yet again, not even they are to be excused; for if they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world, how did they fail to find sooner the Lord of these things? But miserable, with their hopes set on dead things, are those who give the name "gods" to the work of human hands... (Wisdom of Solomon 13:1-10)

Coming from my modern, non-mystical, evangelical upbringing, I was very skeptical of things that sounded "new age." Now, I examine things to see if the concepts might actually belong to God. In the 70's Christians realized they liked rock music. Larry Norman, grandfather of Christian rock (once an oxymoron) once asked, "Why should the devil have all the good music?" My modification of that line is why should the devil claim ownership of what is really God's? I know, not at all catchy for a song! But perhaps powerful reasoning for a believer possessing one of the Holy Spirit's gifts of healing.

In our time there is not a slam dunk way for a Christian to sort this out. There are not many books written from those who've done this type of examination. So I ask even more questions. Does this method reflect the Creator? Is there something in the method which fulfills how God made the body to heal itself? Could, somewhere along the line, the followers of the Creator, have left it behind? Did others who didn't know the Creator, worship the created object instead, ascribing the power to the created element rather than the Creator? Could God have used even the "pagan" to keep a work of his creation alive until a believer came to redeem it and use it for purposes once again glorifying to Him? I choose to redeem and return credit to it's proper place.

Note: This passage in Wisdom is well supported by a passage in the Scriptures. Look it up online at www.biblegateway.com. Search on Romans 1:18-23.