Getting to know God

Aight look - straight up I do not care if you grew up in church. I do not care if you have read the Bible front back, left, right. In fact - I'm betting if you read the Bible all the way through, there is a very high statistical likely hood you are an Atheist. You can find many surveys on how more Atheists than Christians have read the Bible all the way through. I don't know about you - but reading things men have written about their experiences with the Living God is all good and hunky dory for seeing and hearing about the history and learning about culture, etc etc, however - it is not meant to ever replace getting to know God by interacting with Him on a genuine basis every single day. If you have only ever read the Bible or gone to church as your "interactions" with God? You do not know God. Baptized or not, said a sinner's prayer once in church camp after confessing all the times you thought about porn or lying or whatever. If your "relationship" only consists of that? You do not know God.

For you married folks - I bet there are plenty of things people could write about your spouse, good and bad, that could tell you a lot about them. But I would hope that you would agree only reading about your spouse's deeds or what they said at one time or another would never truly be able to replicate what you personally know about them, and their character, and their heart and intentions etc etc (and if you don't agree - please seek counseling for your relationship because you can pursue a martial relationship that's more fulfilling and more intimate than whatever emotional void you live in).

For you people who have been in abusive relationships - how many people do you meet who believe your abuser is such a wonderful amazing person and you are aware that those people speaking only see what is surface level about your abuser? How many people saying the person is wonderful only know what you might put on a resume about your abuser or a wiki post of deeds or sayings done in public by them? How many people don't truly know that person how you do, in such an intimate way, on what they are really like?

For everyone else - how many things have you said or done, good or bad, that anyone could look at and have plenty to say or judge on your supposed character? How many people can take one thing you have done or said out of context for the situation, the time, the people and turn it on its head? How many people could take a moment in your life and look at it and go "you hold x character trait" regardless if you truly hold that trait?

How many times how you, as a person, developed and adjusted how you interact with the world as the years pass and the world (and its people) subtly change over time? I can assure you - 20 years ago was a very different world than how it is now.

Now take an entity who exists outside time that interacts with the world as it changes and evolves. How many people needed to be communicated to in vastly different ways to get points across? How often would the entity need to adjust what to focus on in each time period, culture, generation of people? How many generations needed to be built up on core concepts before one thing or another could occur? And how many generations fought those teachings their whole lives? Look at the books of Kings in scripture and how many Israeli Kings are reduced to some form of "and they did evil in the sight of the Lord."

Now take in how much time has faded away on previous generations and cultures. Reading about God is good. It is a start. And people who truly know the Lord intimately are able to really learn deep aspects on His character when reading about Him but it is only a small piece of a much larger picture. You should not treat the Bible as the end all be all, final dictation on the characteristics of God. He is grander than that. Treating the Bible as such cheapens and smears out so many wonderful, beautiful qualities within Him and it blinds you from being able to see the full glory of the Lord. Treating scripture as an inerrant piece of literature that you have weaponized to promote a particular view of God instead of as well established historical documents on Israel's relationship and interactions with the Lord (and later on the very early church - looking at you New Testament) is akin to worshipping an unpleasant caricature someone hung up on an altar.

No - you want to really learn who God is? You start a relationship with Him. And please - do not be weird. You are not "dating" Him (though many aspects of dating someone can come up in the journey and it can be compared to dating). You are not "married" to Him (though again - it can be compared to a marriage). You start by getting to know God how you would any relationship - you start interacting and talking with Him just how you would a co worker, a fellow student, or hell, even some random guy online in a game room chat. You talk to Him. You hang out. You pop in and go "Hey - what are you up to this weekend?" You go and watch old videos of Him doing crazy things - no different than watching Faker's old world championship games or the greatest hits of Babe Ruth or various speeches from one political leader or another. You don't necessarily see what people have to say about your co worker or neighbor first. You go and track down things you can see that they have done or said - you go to the source - and you talk to them to start to learn who they are and if you care to move to something similar to friendship or not. Only then, can the opportunity arise to hear about their life and their story and their perspective on aspects of life. Only then, can you potentially see past the clamor of the world to see them.