god the invisible king-第12章

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nite　remoteness；　but　brought　nearer　to　us；　he　is　everywhere　　immediately　at　hand；　even　as　a　fourth　dimension　would　be　everywhere　　immediately　at　hand。　　He　is　a　Being　of　the　minds　and　in　the　minds　of　　men。　　He　is　in　immediate　contact　with　all　who　apprehend　him。　。　。　。　But　modern　religion　declares　that　though　he　does　not　exist　in　matter　　or　space；　he　exists　in　time　just　as　a　current　of　thought　may　do；　　that　he　changes　and　becomes　more　even　as　a　man's　purpose　gathers　　itself　together；　that　somewhere　in　the　dawning　of　mankind　he　had　a　　beginning；　an　awakening；　and　that　as　mankind　grows　he　grows。　　With　　our　eyes　he　looks　out　upon　the　universe　he　invades；　with　our　hands；　　he　lays　hands　upon　it。　　All　our　truth；　all　our　intentions　and　　achievements；　he　gathers　to　himself。　　He　is　the　undying　human　　memory；　the　increasing　human　will。　But　this；　you　may　object；　is　no　more　than　saying　that　God　is　the　　collective　mind　and　purpose　of　the　human　race。　　You　may　declare　that　　this　is　no　God；　but　merely　the　sum　of　mankind。　　But　those　who　　believe　in　the　new　ideas　very　steadfastly　deny　that。　　God　is；　they　　say；　not　an　aggregate　but　a　synthesis。　　He　is　not　merely　the　best　of　　all　of　us；　but　a　Being　in　himself；　composed　of　that　but　more　than　　that；　as　a　temple　is　more　than　a　gathering　of　stones；　or　a　regiment　　is　more　than　an　accumulation　of　men。　　They　point　out　that　a　man　is　　made　up　of　a　great　multitude　of　cells；　each　equivalent　to　a　　unicellular　organism。　　Not　one　of　those　cells　is　he；　nor　is　he　　simply　just　the　addition　of　all　of　them。　　He　is　more　than　all　of　　them。　　You　can　take　away　these　and　these　and　these；　and　he　still　　remains。　　And　he　can　detach　part　of　himself　and　treat　it　as　if　it　　were　not　himself；　just　as　a　man　may　beat　his　breast　or；　as　Cranmer　　the　martyr　did；　thrust　his　hand　into　the　flames。　　A　man　is　none　the　　less　himself　because　his　hair　is　cut　or　his　appendix　removed　or　his　　leg　amputated。　And　take　another　image。　。　。　。　　Who　bears　affection　for　this　or　that　　spadeful　of　mud　in　my　garden？　　Who　cares　a　throb　of　the　heart　for　　all　the　tons　of　chalk　in　Kent　or　all　the　lumps　of　limestone　in　　Yorkshire？　　But　men　love　England；　which　is　made　up　of　such　things。　And　so　we　think　of　God　as　a　synthetic　reality；　though　he　has　neither　　body　nor　material　parts。　　And　so　too　we　may　obey　him　and　listen　to　　him；　though　we　think　but　lightly　of　the　men　whose　hands　or　voices　he　　sometimes　uses。　　And　we　may　think　of　him　as　having　moods　and　　aspectsas　a　man　hasand　a　consistency　we　call　his　character。　These　are　theorisings　about　God。　　These　are　statements　to　convey　　this　modern　idea　of　God。　　This；　we　say；　is　the　nature　of　the　person　　whose　will　and　thoughts　we　serve。　　No　one；　however；　who　understands　　the　religious　life　seeks　conversion　by　argument。　　First　one　must　　feel　the　need　of　God；　then　one　must　form　or　receive　an　acceptable　　idea　of　God。　　That　much　is　no　more　than　turning　one's　face　to　the　　east　to　see　the　coming　of　the　sun。　　One　may　still　doubt　if　that　　direction　is　the　east　or　whether　the　sun　will　rise。　　The　real　coming　　of　God　is　not　that。　　It　is　a　change；　an　irradiation　of　the　mind。　　　Everything　is　there　as　it　was　before；　only　now　it　is　aflame。　　　Suddenly　the　light　fills　one's　eyes；　and　one　knows　that　God　has　　risen　and　that　doubt　has　fled　for　ever。

3。　GOD　IS　YOUTH

The　third　thing　to　be　told　of　the　true　God　is　that　GOD　IS　YOUTH。　God；　we　hold；　began　and　is　always　beginning。　　He　looks　forever　into　　the　future。　Most　of　the　old　religions　derive　from　a　patriarchal　phase。　　God　is　　in　those　systems　the　Ancient　of　Days。　　I　know　of　no　Christian　　attempt　to　represent　or　symbolise　God　the　Father　which　is　not　a　　bearded；　aged　man。　　White　hair；　beard；　bearing；　wrinkles；　a　hundred　　such　symptoms　of　senile　decay　are　there。　　These　marks　of　senility　do　　not　astonish　our　modern　minds　in　the　picture　of　God；　only　because　　tradition　and　usage　have　blinded　our　eyes　to　the　absurdity　of　a　　time…worn　immortal。　　Jove　too　and　Wotan　are　figures　far　past　the　　prime　of　their　vigour。　　These　are　gods　after　the　ancient　habit　of　　the　human　mind；　that　turned　perpetually　backward　for　causes　and　　reasons　and　saw　all　things　to　come　as　no　more　than　the　working　out　　of　Fate；　　　　　　〃Of　Man's　first　disobedience　and　the　fruit　　　　　　　Of　that　forbidden　tree；　whose　mortal　taste　　　　　　　Brought　death　into　the　world　and　all　our　woe。〃　But　the　God　of　this　new　age；　we　repeat；　looks　not　to　our　past　but　　our　future；　and　if　a　figure　may　represent　him　it　must　be　the　figure　　of　a　beautiful　youth；　already　brave　and　wise；　but　hardly　come　to　his　　strength。　　He　should　stand　lightly　on　his　feet　in　the　morning　time；　　eager　to　go　forward；　as　though　he　had　but　newly　arisen　to　a　day　that　　was　still　but　a　promise；　he　should　bear　a　sword；　that　clean；　　discriminating　weapon；　his　eyes　should　be　as　bright　as　swords；　his　　lips　should　fall　apart　with　eagerness　for　the　great　adventure　before　　him；　and　he　should　be　in　very　fresh　and　golden　harness；　reflecting　　the　rising　sun。　　Death　should　still　hang　like　mists　and　cloud　banks　　and　shadows　in　the　valleys　of　the　wide　landscape　about　him。　　There　　should　be　dew　upon　the　threads　of　gossamer　and　little　leaves　and　　blades　of　the　turf　at　his　feet。　。　。　。

4。　WHEN　WE　SAY　GOD　IS　LOVE

One　of　the　sayings　about　God　that　have　grown　at　the　same　time　most　　trite　and　most　sacred；　is　that　God　is　Love。　　This　is　a　saying　that　　deserves　careful　examination。　　Love　is　a　word　very　loosely　used；　　there　are　people　who　will　say　they　love　new　potatoes；　there　are　a　　multitude　of　loves　of　different　colours　and　values。　　There　is　the　　love　of　a　mother　for　her　child；　there　is　the　love　of　brothers；　there　　is　the　love　of　youth　and　maiden；　and　the　love　of　husband　and　wife；　　there　is　illicit　love　and　the　love　one　bears　one's　home　or　one's　　country；　there　are　dog…lovers　and　the　loves　of　the　Olympians；　and　　love　which　is　a　passion　of　jealousy。　　Love　is　frequently　a　mere　　blend　of　appetite　and　preference；　it　may　be　almost　pure　greed；　it　　may　have　scarcely　any　devotion　nor　be　a　whit　self…forgetful　nor　　generous。　　It　is　possible　so　to　phrase　things　that　the　furtive　　craving　of　a　man　for　another　man's　wife　may　be　made　out　to　be　a　　light　from　God。　　Yet　about　all　the　better　sorts　of　love；　the　sorts　　of　love　that　people　will　call　〃true　love；〃　there　is　something　of　　that　same　exaltation　out　of　the　narrow　self　that　is　the　essential　　quality　of　the　knowledge　of　God。　Only　while　the　exaltation　of　the　love　passion　comes　and　goes；　the　　exaltation　of　religious　passion　comes　to　remain。　　Lovers　are　the　　windows　by　which　we　may　look　out　of　the　prison　of　self；　but　God　is　　the　open　door　by　which　we　freely　go。　　And　God　never　dies；　nor　　disappoints；　nor　betrays。　The　love　of　a　woman　and　a　man　has　usually；　and　particularly　in　its　　earlier　phases　of　excitement；　far　too　much　desire；　far　too　much　　possessiveness　and　exclusiveness；　far　too　much　distrust　or　forced　　trust；　and　far　too　great　a　kindred　with　jealousy　to　be　like　the　love　　of　God。　　The　former　is　a　dramatic　relationship　that　drifts　to　a　　climax；　and　then　again　seeks　presently　a　climax；　and　that　may　be　　satiated　or　fatigued。　　But　the　latter　is　far　more　like　the　love　of　　comrades；　or　like　the　love　of　a　man　and　a　woman　who　have　loved　and　　been　through　much　trouble　together；　who　have　hurt　one　another　and　　forgiven；　and　come　to　a　complete　and　generous　fellowship。　　There　is　　a　strange　and　beautiful　love　that　men　tell　of　that　will　spring　up　on　　battlefields　between　sorely　wounded　men；　and　often　they　are　men　who　　have　fought　together；　so　that　they　will　do　almost　incredibly　brave　　and　tender　things　for　one　another；　though　but　recently　they　have　　been　trying　to　kill　each　other。　　There　is　often　a　pure　exaltation　of　　feeling　between　those　who　stand　side　by　side　manfully　in　any　great　　stress。　　These　are　the　forms　of　love　that　perhaps　come　nearest　to　　what　we　mean　when　we　speak　of　the　love　of　God。　That　is　man's　love　of　God；　but　there　is　also　something　else；　there　　is　the　love　God　bears　for　man　in　the　individual　believer。　　Now　this　　is　not　an　indulgent；　instinctive；　and　sacrificing　love　like　the　love　　of　a　woman　for　her　baby。　　It　is　the　love　of　the　captain　for　his　men；　　God　must　love　his　followers　as　a　great　captain　loves　his　men；　who　　are　so　foolish；　so　helpless　in　themselves；　so　confidin