Just some raw notes from today’s study of Judaism, specifically their views on Nature, God and what to do as humans while here.

Fun studying judaism today, particularly how their view of God effects and informs our view of nature and what to be doing while here on earth! One cool take away: physicality or matter is good, and in need of tending; another, since God is loving and not capricious, we are given choice to love or not. It matters how you see your God, and judaism didn’t invent monotheism but they articulated the character of the One Most High God. Nice objective chapter also from this religious studies father on a people and religion which changed the world. A few other take aways:

For instance, the implications of the Oneness of God (the daily Shema prayer): God is unity with diversity. God is Whole. God is social and integrated; so is an adequate model for society even. We are like God-ie in His Image. This tells us things. God is also Love itself. God is good. This last simple statement, is a huge gift of Judaism. If God is social, loving and desires wholeness, then we find ourselves living accordingly!

If God is actually good, then we can relate and choose goodness. We are free to choose life as opposed to death, to choose meaning as opposed to chaos or nihilism. If we suppose that God is good and loving and personable, it changes how we live, in short! If God is a loving kind father like Being, then…

How we look at God and life effects what level of meaning we end up living with.

God is One, Judaism claims, so has order and unity in Himself and creates things to have this same integration in identity. This sense of purposeful integration of complexity with unity (as all good art theories claim is essential to good art! Or living, i would add). And as such is unifying us. We are being integrated, because He is integrated in Himself! We are being reconciled to our true selves, being conformed to His, and therefore our true images.

He is also relational even within Himself, thus, we grow in relationships. Why do we find ourselves constantly in need of real or authentic relationship with others? Judaism claims, because God is relational. Even before humans, there was a grand collaboration going on, which we oversee and hear in Genesis. The Father, Son and Spirit are making things up together early in the book! God is creatively social, so are we.

So we return in this context to the old question: is matter evil? Is our “stuffness”, our physicality, the molecular biology of earth and our bodies and daily lives, inherently a bad idea? The Jews, say no! He created stuff, and said, it was good! Nice reminder that the earth as well as our physical bodies are declared good. Yet, in need of creative stewarding!

Nature and the physical body are declared good and we are to steward them. Interesting orientation to nature. Not worship or merging, but tending-a loving relational model of our orientation towards Nature.

Not to worship nor to become it but to relate to it in a fruitful and fruit bearing way. To help complete kratos nature.

The Jewish God is like this. And challenges us with that buoyant attitude about physicality. As Christianity extended it, let your kingdom come ON EARTH as it already is in heaven!

Looking again at our proper orientation towards physical nature, including our bodies. Fun study, I’ve been having for many years, starting at L’abri—what is our orientation towards our bodies and the physical earth, supposed to look like; how do we govern the material from the spiritual, and how do the two realms interface?

And then, the kind implications of a loving father, inferred and in some sense proclaimed by Judaism, a friendly father God, one with tuned in care to each person and creature (one who takes note of each sparrow) rather than a capricious God (as many of the surrounding cultures had) are equally and buoyantly calling us to be here in daily experience, collaborating with Him in the daily experience of making things more whole, complete, singing the song of itself!

If God is loving and personable, then we are those in loving relationship, we are daughters, sons, friends of God. This is still a radically approachable version of The Ultimate! And it affects how we live morally, if we see ourselves as truly loved and in active dynamic transformational relationship! How we live morality, how we treat others daily, depend and usher from your view of what God is actually like. Especially, if you believe we are creations in His Image. What type of image are we created in, so meant to be? Is one of the great questions of this great tradition of faith!

The Jews didn’t invent monotheism, but they did say lots about the character of this one most High God. And how that loving character effected how we actually are to live. If you really open heartedly explore what Judaism brought to the human table, it’s humbling and awesome. I love studying the gifts of this faith.

For the love of the body, soul and spirit of things, some gleanings from my Jewish studies this week! I love studying the basic premises about life-who we are, what we are doing here, how to relate to what is outside of us, all, which effect how we live!

Studying Judaism today and looking at what set their view of God, nature, and humans apart. Good study, as I love thinking about how the physical body and care of the earth fit into our basic spirituality!

I especially like looking at the jewish and christian views of Nature and our physical bodies—seems like a neglected area! Soil sight and skin—as I often say. The earth, the imagination, and the physical body—three needed areas of conversation while here! I like the Jewish premise that the earth is good, and we are meant to help complete it.

In a world of pluralistic religious views, good to consider which ones seem true to what actually is! What makes us the best humans with meaning and purpose towards our settings, including other people, the earth and our creativity! Fun study today!

Good contrast also with the chinese view of nature as presented in the Tao de Ching (great collection, but very different version of the physical world)-bit more of a hands off merging with version; and i’m not capable of dialogue with it, sort of thing; humble yourself before nature, rather than learn to tend it, as tending would be dominant-and you see this playing out in Thoureuo and the american enlightenment folks-Emerson etc; a fear or the word “ruling”, which was originally, in a Jewish context, more “ruling with God in order to make more mutually fruitful!” (we still fear that ruling is always abusive!); rather than i’m being informed as to how to take care and complete it, but i am given authority to do so. Regardless, your cosmic premises-how you actually picture God, effect how you treat nature, yourself and others.

I love comparing religions and considering the fruits of their implications in a practical daily way. Why and how to take care of the earth, our own bodies-how to live an incarnate spirituality-is still a good question. This is true, especially if you extend it into Christianity, where you have an overly incarnate God. But good studying the roots of Judaism to discover why to care for the earth and one another, in daily practical incarnation ways!

Fun to look at it freshly today, through my Jewish studies!