“Eternity is the very core of God” 

-Baruch Spinoza

Both belief in a particular vision of G!D or total atheism are huge acts of faith. Absolute proof cannot be made one way or the other, at least not by us. Who or what is G!D? I guess the best and truest answer is that we really don’t know. But here’s my working definition, one that Spinoza’s line resonates with, the one that brings some meaning to me:

G!D is the name we use for that infinite eternal system of which we are all a part and cannot fully fathom, because we can never stand apart from that system and see the whole. We, on our best days, can simply sense it’s enormity and stand in awe within it. It’s the whole thing: biosphere, microsphere, cosmos; a power of infinity inward  and outward until we reach the place where both connect. And as the letter writer Paul says, we only see it through a dark glass.

The important thing is not to comprehend it, but to relate to it. To call out in a voice loud, or one small and still, or just to listen to the enormous Silence.

May we see the Whole, may we achieve what is intended that can heal, avoid what is unintended that can harm, stumble upon what blesses. May our will and purpose align with the will and purpose of the Whole System, The All, The Singularity, The Unity. And all the Beings say: Amen.

How can you open to and align with the Whole in your life?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baruch Spinoza (24 November 1632 – 21 February 1677),  was a Dutch philosopher of Sephardi Portuguese origin. By laying the groundwork for the 18th-century Enlightenment and modern biblical criticism, including modern conceptions of the self and the universe, he came to be considered one of the great rationalists of 17th-century philosophy.

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.