Is God Alive?

"God is Not Dead"  This is a new, I guess you would call it "Christian," movie out.  My co-worker was telling me about it and I watched the trailer for it online, which got me to thinking.  Is God dead?  Before you can answer that question, you must first ask yourself, is God alive?  Depending on your point of view, but even as a Catholic I could say yes and I could say no.

Yes -- God became human as Jesus of Nazareth, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.  On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures.  (Hmm, now where have I heard that before . . .?) To the extent He lowered himself to become human, Jesus, fully God and fully human died, rose again and is still alive.

No -- God is. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God.  If those first words of John's gospel are true (and any Christian would say that they are) then God cannot be alive, at least as we understand it.  Being alive implies that death is coming, or at least is an option.  God that is the creator of all things is above death and God being above death is also above (and beyond the concept of) being alive.

I have not seen the movie, but judging from the trailer and from the background of those involved with the movie I would bet it is the first answer that is presented in this movie.  It is precisely that answer or at least that approach to the question that, in my opinion, contributes to so many falling away from Christianity. It is that approach that leads people to use phrases like, as was used in the movie, "the big man in the sky" when referring to God.  When the fundamental explanation of God is done only* in the context of human existence and understanding, then it is easy to see why people lose faith.
*I use the term only there to emphasis that there certainly is a human context to God, after all God became human.  However, there is much more to a full understanding of God.

When given only in that limited context, the concept of God is also easily attacked   If what is means to believe in God is only presented as what is capable of being fully grasped by humanity (see Philippians 2:6) then it falls to the level of being another opinion.  If it is simply an opinion, then that opinion is subject to debate and also subject to being changed**.  When God is presented on the level of the gods of ancient Rome and Greece, then God is subject to being proven not to exist, just like those gods.

**It is also subject to being wrong, which cannot be if God is "the way the truth and the life."

The God that simply is cannot be proven to be alive or proven to be dead.  The God that created the universe is greater than all human understanding. God cannot be measured, grasped, controlled, manipulated or changed -- all things necessary for something to be understood. This is the God that we have to get back to professing and proclaiming.  It is only when we humble ourselves to accept that what we know of God (and what we can know of God) is only that which He has reveled can we begin to change our lives to live according to God's will.

It is only in living lives of sacrifice for and in service of others that we can change people's hearts.  It is only in reflecting the beauty of the Cross that we can bring others into sharing in God's Love.  It was the first Christians living and professing this sort of radical life that changed the world.  It is Christians having gotten way from this radical life that has fertilized the growth of the culture of death.  And it is only getting back to living and professing this life lived for and in service of others that is capable of changing humanity.

The Jews of Jesus time believed the Christ as foretold by the Prophets would come and defeat their worldly enemies.  Are we as modern day Christians any different?  Don't we want and pray for God to solve all our worldly problems, provide us with worldly goods?  The Gospels proclaim a different victory, a victory not measured in worldly terms.  How can we share in this victory and bring others into the Body of Christ unless we live by Christ's example?


"If you want to be happy, really really happy, use your talents to serve others." - Eduardo Verastegui