Having a "relationship with God" makes no sense to me.<\/p>\n
It feels like something Christians talk about.<\/p>\n
I had an overdose of that God relationship talk when I was an evangelical Christian.<\/p>\n
I became Jewish to be hyper-rational and pick up shiksas.<\/p>\n
Rabbi Aryeh Ben David’s new book, The Godfile: 10 Approaches to Personalizing Prayer, is so good I read it for the second time in a week today.<\/p>\n
Here’s a sentence he repeats: "Everything that is true (vertically) is also true like this (horizontally)."<\/p>\n
He means that our relationship with God will affect how we treat others.<\/p>\n
Is this true?<\/p>\n
I’m skeptical.<\/p>\n
I don’t deny it.<\/p>\n
I believe God made us. I believe God is interested in His creation. I believe He wants us to relate to Him, our maker. I guess that means He wants us to have a relationship with Him.<\/p>\n
Eww, I’m not into that language. But the reality the language symbolizes is true.<\/p>\n
In general, I think people who relate closely to G-d will treat other people more ethically.<\/p>\n
A friend talked to me over Shabbat about his problems and how they were HaShem’s will.<\/p>\n
"Do you really believe that?"<\/p>\n
"Yes," he said.<\/p>\n
I believe there’s meaning in our suffering. I agree with Viktor Frankl that it provides the opportunity for us to reach higher moral values. That we need to find the meaning in our struggles and I guess there’s only ultimate meaning if there is a God who cares.<\/p>\n
So however much it rubs me the wrong way emotionally, I have to bow to this God talk.<\/p>\n
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Having a "relationship with God" makes no sense to me. It feels like something Christians talk about. I had an overdose of that God relationship talk when I was an evangelical Christian. I became Jewish to be hyper-rational and pick … Continue reading