I am inspired by the creative impulse of Life, placed in Humankind by the God Who Creates.
Often, I hear people confused that their experience of God is different from others' experience. Between denominations even, traditions have developed about what one should expect from God.
One sees the Holy Spirit in everything, others see a Person manifested through 'gifts' and prophetic utterance. Miracles are everywhere for some, while others have and explaination for everything.
New Christians are confused about what to believe, and what to expect in their spiritual experience.
Why do people experience God so differently?
My thesis is based on the new science paradox of the
"Random Pattern"
When we find the presence of God manifested in ourselves and perceive it in others it seems random - until over time we begin to see the pattern.
The pattern is not logical, or I sould say does not seem logical (logic and rules are NOT the only way to understand something!) and it is often subjectively perceived and we sometimes, wrongly, try to make it logical. Our description of our experiences and understanding is quite forgivably incomplete.
Then, we compare the understanding from person to person. They may have had differing experiences, and are expressing them in many ways. Thus we find inconsistency if we try to put these "patterns" together - we find a whole other level of random pattern!
So often the manifestation of God, the Holy Spirit and Christian life seems quite random to us. It can be quite frustrating and even damaging if we try to get God to conform to our own thinking. But, I believe the many experiences are ALL in the grand purpose of God - wildly energized and vastly huge.
I think of it like that old story about the blind men trying to describe an elephant, each with a different experience depending on which part they are touching.
We can not put God in a box of our own construction - perhaps but for a second we do, to understand one tiny idea, and then God breaks out in glorious new ways.
©2009 David Loofbourrow All Rights Reserved
