While reading at breakfast, I was astonished and admonished by a simple small book, a gift from a relative really. A great gift that the relative didn’t even know they had given to me. The book started a hiatus in breakfast that actually took my attention away from the table to the bookshelf to look up a word. ‘Awful’ was the common word we all use but is derived from ‘Awe’. It is a transitive verb which means it is describing an object not an action.

The author of the book I was munching on I he munched my toast was attempting to describe the impossible attributes of God. My mind began to tumble and bumble as the short paragraph started to strike deep into breakfast. THE question that atheists and devout worshipers both stumble upon when thinking actually takes place. ‘If all things I see, feel and hear are created things (I.E. the sky, our bodies, water and food) what can an uncreated thing be?’ Of course to stir great confusion, a thing that is eternal and always existed is the unavoidable question. The usual questions that arose during breakfast are a bit easier to answer. ‘what to do with my day? Why did my friend say that hurtful thing to me yesterday?’ The usual undigested flummery we all ruminate upon.

As we have asked since time began, If the universe is eternal, where did it come from? And if there is a God that created this universe, where did He come from? It’s the most basic of all theology and a question that begs an answer that cannot be found in science. Our mind, odd as it is, has not the slightest clue on how to begin this quest either. We comforted by the company of some of the great theologians. They don’t know either although there are many ‘interesting’ speculations. A lot of these books are found on a shelf in the second-hand stores. “Eternity for Dummies” is one of them.

The origin of an eternal God is an oxymoron. There is none because eternal forbids an origin. The vision of eternity begs a different mind that I have. I have always seen life unfold and then turn along a time line. No time line, no time, no sunset or a sunset that never ends. Ever. my choice. It has been speculated that God has eternity to guide us writing and this. Also to you to read it. It really is impossible. Everyone, every nice event or disaster can be seen and experienced forever.

So, what does the result of all this searching generate within us? At first it’s a great ‘time waster’ and then the awe of my vision turns rapidly into ‘awful’. It’s fear generated along with the awe that turns quickly into awful. There are also no words except the ones written about 700 years ago by Julian of Norwich which do pretty well: “For of all things, the beholding and the loving of his maker, makes the soul seem less in our sight. It fills this seeker with reverent dread and true meekness…” Reverent dread is a good description of Awe that does a quick turn to awful.

Seeking the creator of everything that is and was and will be…everything..and then be told by pretty reliable sources that this awesome Person (God ) is very interested in you. He wants to have a nice chat and tell you things. It makes me tremble when a little bit of this truth gets in deep.

How about you? If you have another answer, I would definitely like to hear it or read it. It’s pretty good. Norman Peterson / Jack Gator