Explosive Joy
Joy is an experience of overflowing, an explosion of surprise. Something enters a person's life for which he could never be prepared and his tidy self erupts in song, dance, and joy.
Approach the Divine with a calculated mind and there is no window for joy. Embrace the infinite beyond mind and joy surges downward.
~ Chabad.org
i couldn't agree with this more. How much energy and time is spent trying to dissect G-d, constructing and studying 'theologies', trying to make everything fit. i should know, i have been there. It's so sad to see us forever engaged in struggle in trying to make our theologies work, to create our 'systems', arguing about whose system is the right one, rather than making one's spiritual path a way of life. When 'inspired writers' paint a picture of G-d and yet convey contradicting points of view or views that are inconsistent with other Scriptures, is it any wonder that the 'right theology' can never be attained? Is it any wonder that confusions have abounded for millennia?
But when we approach G-d as simple and humble people, observe G-d's ways, and treat each other how we are expected to, how free we are to experience the true joy of G-d!!
Study is good and necessary for a proper understanding of our faith. Study is good for keeping our minds sharp and focused on how to live for G-d (which should be the purpose of study to begin with anyway, shouldn't it?). Rabbis have spent and continue to spend years upon years studying the Torah. But they aren't constructing nor studying 'systematic theologies'. They are learning how to be better Jews and people by learning what G-d expects of us and how to teach others how to be better people as well. But when we spend two hours hunched over a desk trying to find out why an 'inspired writer' used 'and' instead of 'but', when we could instead be out in the world putting G-d's love into practice and awakening the Divine Spark in all of us, we lose so much precious time.
Where is the joy? Where is the true experience of G-d? G-d has not commanded us to construct theologies. G-d has commanded us to do G-d's will and has made it very clear in the Scriptures what G-d's will is for a truly spiritual life.
Approach the Divine with a calculated mind and there is no window for joy. Embrace the infinite beyond mind and joy surges downward.
~ Chabad.org
i couldn't agree with this more. How much energy and time is spent trying to dissect G-d, constructing and studying 'theologies', trying to make everything fit. i should know, i have been there. It's so sad to see us forever engaged in struggle in trying to make our theologies work, to create our 'systems', arguing about whose system is the right one, rather than making one's spiritual path a way of life. When 'inspired writers' paint a picture of G-d and yet convey contradicting points of view or views that are inconsistent with other Scriptures, is it any wonder that the 'right theology' can never be attained? Is it any wonder that confusions have abounded for millennia?
But when we approach G-d as simple and humble people, observe G-d's ways, and treat each other how we are expected to, how free we are to experience the true joy of G-d!!
Study is good and necessary for a proper understanding of our faith. Study is good for keeping our minds sharp and focused on how to live for G-d (which should be the purpose of study to begin with anyway, shouldn't it?). Rabbis have spent and continue to spend years upon years studying the Torah. But they aren't constructing nor studying 'systematic theologies'. They are learning how to be better Jews and people by learning what G-d expects of us and how to teach others how to be better people as well. But when we spend two hours hunched over a desk trying to find out why an 'inspired writer' used 'and' instead of 'but', when we could instead be out in the world putting G-d's love into practice and awakening the Divine Spark in all of us, we lose so much precious time.
Where is the joy? Where is the true experience of G-d? G-d has not commanded us to construct theologies. G-d has commanded us to do G-d's will and has made it very clear in the Scriptures what G-d's will is for a truly spiritual life.