Thursday, 4 March, 2004

We will continue to base the devotions on “God for a Secular Culture” by Jurgen Moltmann.



Here’s what happens when we apply the principle of likeness to “other people, other things, and the Wholly Other God. (#1 was covered on Wednesday)

2. In the ancient world, knowledge meant participation: I perceive nature outside myself through the nature within myself, so that with my own nature I may participate in nature as a whole, and may unite myself with her. Reason was…thinking with the eyes which see what is there.

In modern times… (Since Francis Bacon & Rene Descartes) to know has meant to dominate. I want to perceive nature outside myself in order to dominate it. I want to dominate it in order to acquire for myself. I want to acquire it for myself in order to do what I like with my possession.

…In modern civilization…reason is no longer understood as an organ of perception; it is now an instrument of power.



I can hear the themes of Martin Buber when he lifts up the difference between relationships that are call ‘I – Thou’...relationships that honor and respect and keep the ‘other’ on equal footing so that a dialogical relationship would develop. This is in opposition to what would be an ‘I – it’ encounter. I cannot even call it a relationship because the one side actually denies the qualities that could be called a dialogical relationship. As God’s people in our times, we must not let ourselves be seduced into the power over others way of living in the world. We can see too much of that within the imperialism that seems to be running away filled with fear and demanding to control the world. Since the creation story in Genesis one, we are not to be people who dominate. We are given responsibility to be in dialogue with all of creation…to look after the well being of all things…to take care. Taking care of the world demands listening - not dominance and control. The Good News builds within a community the recognition of the worth of all. Therefore we are free to listen, care, give of ourselves, and love neighbors and those who are ‘other.’



Connection: How many times in this day is knowledge seen as or used to bring about dominance…or control? How do we go about walking down another way?



Lord God, open our eyes that we can see the world and those around us with the eyes of your grace and in that seeing be open to the many new ways we may walk through this day. Amen.