Helplessness and the God Concept

By Rev. Rebecca

This is the kind of thing that keeps me up at night.

Humans are at the mercy of so many forces, things far beyond our control. In fact, were you to measure what you had you had control over versus what was more powerful than you, you'd quickly realize that you are basically helpless. I don't mean to belittle the human potential to overcome many of life's obstacles and achieve great things, but the reality, which we like to ignore, is that we are quite powerless over most of what occurs.

We are at the mercy of those stronger and more powerful than us.

We are at the mercy of acts of violence perpetuated against us randomly and personally.

We are at the mercy of biological and physiological forces.

We are at the mercy of tragic accidents.

We are at the mercy of the forces of nature.

We are at the mercy of war.

We are at the mercy of untreatable sicknesses and incurable diseases.

We are at the mercy of old age and the degeneration of our mind and body.

We are at the mercy of death.

We are a people that tend to pretend we are ultimately in control, because we do have limited control over many factors, but ultimately life is not fully in our control no matter how rich, happy, healthy, strong, intelligent, or beautiful you are. You will get old, you will get hurt, you will get sick, and you will die.

We all are susceptible to powers greater than ourselves. And that is why the God concept will always be important. Only a power greater than all of these forces that master us, ie God, can ever give us the power to overcome the ultimate enemies of humankind. If there is no God, then we truly are at the mercy of these forces and that is the end of the story.

But if there is a God, then we can overcome even the most powerful of human enemies...the forces beyond our control. If we believe there is a Higher Power that has our best interest at heart, we will live, not in fear of the forces that already threaten us, but with continual courage. I believe I am at the mercy of Love rather than meaningless, random forces.

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