Once Again: What Is God?

For me, God is not somebody with a long, long white beard sitting on a big chair and calling me to account for my deeds. This image is good, maybe, for the depiction of God in children’s stories.I follow and accept what practically all religions say: God is absolute Love. The closer we get to absolute Love, the closer we get to God.What is Love, though?Absolute integration.When you love someone, or something, even an idea, it becomes a part of you. You are kind of molded together. If someone criticizes an idea, an object or a person you love, it feels as though they are criticizing you.The more integrated you are with the object of love, the stronger the love is. And vice versa. That is why God is one. One and only one. Absolute integration. You cannot love God partially or conditionally.Next question: what is integration?It is a function of mutual trust and respect (MT&R).If there is no MT&R, there is no integration. In interpersonal relations, we might start falling in love with someone, but when we lose trust or respect… that love evaporates.Thus, I suggest, integration is a function of MT&R.Now, what is MT&R?Trust is a function of the existence, or absence, of interests we may have in common. The more faith we have that we have common interests, the more we will trust each other.Respect, on the other hand, is a function of how open we are to learn from people who think differently because they are different. (This insight came from Immanuel Kant). The more I learn from your differences of opinion, the more I respect you.MT&R have to be mutual to work.So now, what is God?God is absolute Love. Absolute Love is absolute integration. Absolute integration is a function of MT&R. Trust is a function of how many common interests exist among the parties, which in turn is a function of how much symbiosis exists in the system. Respect is a function of how open we are to learn from diversity. When respect exists in relationships, it creates synergy.I suggest that if mutual trust is based on symbiosis and mutual respect creates synergy, then everything in this world is driven by rules of symbiosis and synergy.God is like an operating system, and everything in this world is an application running on top of that operating system.Now, what is the driving “algorithm” of this “operating system”? Synergy and symbiosis, driven by MT&R.To violate tenants of MT&R is to violate nature’s algorithm, to violate God. Such violations are always followed by some punishment sooner or later.Take what is happening now. We are violating the environment. We do not share common interests with nature. We are exploitative. There are consequences.The radicals of any religion negate diversity. So, too, did communism and fascism. We know of the disasters those systems brought to civilization.God is like the operating system of a computer: violate it and the computer will not work. Violate the interests of nature or diversity and watch the world fall apart.In the same way that a computer is not watching, judging, and punishing us, God is not watching, judging, and punishing us. We punish ourselves by violating the operating system.If God is absolute Love, what is the opposite of God? Hate.If God is absolute Love, absolute integration, then the Devil is hate, the cause of disintegration.Break down MT&R in your life, undermine mutual interests, reject diversity, and notice how hate will emerge. Notice how hate will grow, push God out and invite the Devil into your life.God, a natural system of love based on a culture of MT&R, needs feeding, needs serving. In the deterioration or absence of God, the Devil will emerge.Just thinking,Ichak Kalderon Adizes