Common-sense humility to the God

Common-sense humility to the God

It seems to me that part of pursuing human being (verb) is acceptance and appreciation that something constrains the consequences of human action. So far, humankind has not discovered what that entity is, so it can be regarded as a mystery. Traditionally believers label it “God” or equivalent, partially, because the ideal or the good is insufficiently discerned and because divinity dominates the world we know. Many theists erroneously label unbelievers atheists, ignoring the possibility that the unbeliever is humble to the God. An unintended consequence is that theists commit to and trust-in their God, not realizing they could retain humility to the God, or the entity that is actually, really in control. A person need not yield hopes and comforts in their God, in order to maintain humility to the God and appreciation to civic unbelievers. “Civic” refers to responsibility to neither initiate nor accommodate harm to-or-from any person or to-or-from any harmless God.

                I think “ourselves and our Posterity” at University Baptist Church- UBC may and can choose to pursue the God, mysterious as that entity may be, because most UBC members demonstrate the ability to appreciate diverse personal Gods held by fellow citizens – are open-minded and moreover, openhearted.

In addition to humility to the God, I perceive two necessities, if this dream will facilitate an achievable better future to UBC, to its community, to Baton Rouge, to Louisiana, to the United States, and beyond. The necessities are: acceptance of human responsibility and awareness of the representative political philosopher – acceptance of the God’s will and of Yeshua’s civic influence. The civic acceptances may and can be indirect.

Humankind’s responsibilities

                Before Homo sapiens emerged, some 200 thousand years ago (tya), there was no political philosophy. Homo sapiens developed languages. Grammar, coming perhaps 10 tya, empowered organization of diverse language-groups under political philosophies. Successive kings in Sumer civilization created law codes to organize civic culture for the good to inhabitants. The political development culminated in the Code of Hammurabi, the work of a conquering king. The Sumerian philosophy dispersed and expanded.

Semitic-speaking people in Mesopotamia summarized Sumerian-essential political philosophy in Genesis 1:26-28: the God wills that humankind pursue order to the earth – rule on earth. Accepting and executing that duty as stated, in the God’s image, is not easy. People may pursue the good rather than the bad or the evil -- light rather than darkness (Genesis 1:1). The people may discover the laws of physics and progeny and discern how to pursue positive benefits. They may persevere without standards, because discovery improves understanding the good. Sometimes the essential discovery is a new instrument for perceiving the laws of physics. Perseverance to the good is the awareness-force in the positive application of physics.

                Human conflict rather than collaboration is illustrated after Genesis 1 -- in the rest of the Bible, from Genesis 2:4 through Revelations 22. The God of Genesis 1 is portrayed as the Jews’ Jehovah then Paul’s Trinity, both competing with awareness and discovery. John 1:1 seems to equate Yeshua to the God. Each person may and can choose their God-of-comfort-and-hope yet remain humble to the God as the individual pursues understanding. The challenge to accept the opportunity to pursue human being (verb) is renewed to each newborn human and to their generation.

Humankind’s chief political philosopher

                Also emerging from Mesopotamia is awareness of political philosopher Yeshua, born to Jewish parents in the Nazareth of 2 tya -- an Aramaic-speaking village of about 200 people. Due to Yeshua’s civic understanding and consequential public impact, some thought him the anointed descendant of King David -- anointed to unite the 12 tribes of Israel. About 300 years later, the Greek “Χρισμένος”, for anointed one, became Latin “Christou” and in another 1100 years “Ιησούς” evolved to “Jesus”. Yet these are 3 separate entities: Yeshua, the reforming person; Jesus, the reported miracle worker; and Christ, divinity’s political victim and savior of mysterious souls. The civic citizen may and can appreciate fellow citizens regardless of their sentiments toward each Yeshua, Jesus, Christ, and Jesus Christ, because they accept personal responsibility according to Genesis 1:26-28. Appreciation and humility to the God unites believers and non-believers. Civic integrity unites people who pursue the good, people who need constraint to reform, and villains who invite termination.

                Today, about 15 million Jews think Yeshua only a political philosopher; 300 thousand Messianic Jews believe Yeshua was anointed to unite Israel; some of 2.7 billion Christians think Jesus represents their God and a major faction thinks Christ saves mysterious souls; and perhaps 7.2 billion readers/listeners appreciate one or more of the three entities: Yeshua, Jesus, or Christ. I guess 0.8 billion people have never heard of any of the 3 entities. My appreciation for Yeshua’s civic influence may not be widely shared, but I do not know.

An Opportunity

                Yeshua is a unique political philosopher. Only Yeshua affirmed Genesis 1:26-28’s message:  On earth, humankind is responsible to the good. Moreover, Yeshua informed us, in Matthew 5:48, that we may pursue perfection in the God’s image, low as present comprehension may be to the individual or to humankind. Perfection-possibility applies to each individual in their time, to each generation, and to humankind. Perfection-pursuit is essential, because the God will not change humankind’s failures and successes (Matthew 18:18). Praying for a God, divinity, or government to usurp humankind’s responsibility is futile.

Since Yeshua did not write, we can pursue his philosophy with 3 tools. First, we can trust that Yeshua intends the good and if something seems bad, withhold action until the good intention is discovered. Second, we can trust that every word of the Holy Bible is pertinent to human being (verb) even though a particular passage may seem to express the bad or even evil. Third, we can accept the responsibility, the power, and the authority to the good that is willed to each of us and to our collaboration, as stated in Genesis 1:26-28. If an idea does not reflect common sense, we are obligated to pursue understanding before taking even necessary action. That is, if the good is not evident and there is no necessity, don’t act unless survival requires taking the risk to act.

An example may convey the idea. In Matthew 10:5-14, Complete Jewish Bible (1998), Yeshua commissions twelve emissaries to Israel, as follows:

Don’t go into the territory of the Goyim, and don’t enter any town in Shomron, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Isra’el. As you go, proclaim, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is near,’ heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those afflicted with tzara’at, expel demons. You have received without paying, so give without asking payment. Don’t take money in your belts, no gold, no silver, no copper; and for the trip don’t take a pack, an extra shirt, shoes or a walking stick — a worker should be given what he needs. When you come to a town or village, look for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. When you enter someone’s household, say, ‘Shalom aleikhem!’ If the home deserves it, let your shalom rest on it; if not, let your shalom return to you. But if the people of a house or town will not welcome you or listen to you, leave it and shake its dust from your feet!

This literal message seems negative. We can trust that it exists of necessity to the good and wait for a positive interpretation. Pastor Eric Fulcher helped me wonder if leaving dust was a metaphor for leaving ideas, like planting seeds. Until I learn better, I consider the point of this passage to be: if a fellow citizen is stubborn, neither try to force them to listen nor allow their attitude to oppress you. The message itself will eventually appeal to the citizen’s pursuit of the good. (Some of the villages the emissaries visited practiced sacrificing the firstborn male to feed the fire.)

                Facing Israel’s bid to have the magistrate execute him, Yeshua expressed his purpose, “The reason I have been born, the reason I have come into the world, is to bear witness to the truth. Every one who belongs to the truth listens to me.” (John 18:37)

Conclusion

                It seems essential to pursue Yeshua’s civic influence, in order to pursue perfect living in private, within groups, and as humankind. The miraculous Jesus may aid some people to have courage against the unknowns. The salvation of mysterious soul may inspire some people to persevere. To the unbelieving civic citizen, the good sustains self-interest for life, whereas the bad is temporal, and evil is terminal. A civic culture encourages, facilitates, and empowers human being (verb).

                The group that can better the above ideas may flourish in this world, which has diverged at the hands of divinity failing to reserve sufficient humility to the God.

PRB, 7/24/2024

Copyright©2024 by Phillip R. Beaver. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for the publication of all or portions of this paper as long as this complete copyright notice is included.