"The Universe desires to be noticed"
--John Green
The Universe desires to be noticed? Or God desires to be noticed?
The other day, I got into a discussion with a friend of mine. Are humans inherently good or inherently evil? He claimed good, I claimed evil. He really could not understand my point of view. And he kept questioning this belief.
One of his last questions was, "Shouldn't we, with our own intelligence, be able to find God?"
Now, me and this friend of mine had actually seen the movie, "The fault in our stars" the night before. I had also read the book shortly before. And the book made me think. A lot. I'm still puzzling it over to be honest. It's so unique, so different than any other story I've read. Even with a seemingly depressing plot, it left you hopeful. And I wondered why that was. Considering how completely God-less the story was. The author didnt believe in God and the characters didn't believe in God. Even though they were both cancer kids with the potential to die at any moment. They talked about an after-life, but they weren't actually too concerned about it.
Now, how can this story, especially to a Christian, leave you feeling hopeful?
Because the author, Mr. John Green, decieved us. He used elements and characteristics of God to deceive us. To pull us in, to take hope from it. Without actually using the name of God.
In the story, the author turned these Godly elements, into a more humanistic point of view. Humans can save themselves, give themselves their own salvation and hope. They don't need a God or a heaven.
Another one of my friends read a different John Green book, and couldn't read another after that, because the author was too egotistical for her taste.
After reading, "the fault in our stars", I didnt really understand what she meant. But after the movie, I understood. His ego. That he dares to use elements of God, but claim there is no God. He is completely aware of God, but is too egotistical to claim that these values and ideas are from God. He instead takes the more humanistic approach, claiming these ideas are his and have nothing to do with God.
The Universe desires to be noticed? No, John Green, God is trying to get your attention. We as a human race are too prideful and egotistical to admit that there is a higher power.
But, this also shows that God is made known to every man. His word declares that every man, whether he's read the Bible or even heard of Jesus Christ or not is held accountable. Because God makes Himself known to every man. Either through nature, His Word, another man, or ideas from our head. God is real. And every man is aware of this.
So yes, my friend, we can find God from our own intelligence. But we also can not understand God completely. He is so huge and we are so small. I know you wonder why God would create something evil. But we weren't created evil. We chose to sin against God, choosing to be evil.
But God is an amazing God. We can't understand how even after we sinned he gave us good tendencies. And kind people. And sunsets. And summers. And thunderstorms. And flowers.
Thats the cool thing about God. We don't need to understand Him.
Even we as Christians let our ego run away with us. Claiming we know what God needs to do in our life. We get selfish and expect things to be easy. But God is gracious, He humbles us, reminding us who is in charge.
"We step right on to God over some things. But then self-consideration enters in and down we go."
That is the fault in our ego.
"Let actual circumstances be what they may, keep recognizing Jesus, maintain complete reliance on Him. "
-- Oswald Chambers
