"My blessing now I give thee here,
To thee, Noah, my servant dear,
That vengeance shall no more appear,
And now, farewell, my darling dear."
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Noah's Flood
"My blessing now I give thee here,
To thee, Noah, my servant dear,
That vengeance shall no more appear,
And now, farewell, my darling dear."
Playing God
I don't think I have ever been as deliberate about anything I have done as I was in portraying God.
At first it had seemed like a lark, a sophisticated joke even, a sign of God's sense of humor that I who have spent so much of the past year struggling with my own concept and theology of God should be selected to play God. It was an irony that was not lost on anyone who knows me well.
But soon, something that had seemed like a fun challenge, an intellectual exercise became almost a spiritual practice. It didn't take long for me to realize and accept the incredible responsibility involved in being asked to embody God.
I wanted to understand every line. I wanted to be deliberate about every action. I wanted to consider carefully every reaction.
It was important to me that God be played as a God I could believe in. It was important to me not to present a caricature of God. It was important to me that we somehow be able to better understand this Genesis God.
When we decided not to do two versions of the play, I lost the ability to portray an "Old Testament" God in one play and a post-modern Process God in the other. And that proved to be quite a gift to forming this character. It forced me to put all the natures of God into one character, just as I am forced to do in life. How do we reconcile a God who seems to select one family to save, a God who would wipe out almost all of humanity with the God of the rainbow, the God of promise and hope?
It was important to me that God's actions not appear to cause the storm, even though the lines would suggest it. And that was a suggestion that came from Lori Anne and direction that came from Melinda, too.
This was a God who is close to humanity. A God who abides among all Creation, even though many are unaware. This was a God who directs and leads and guides and hopes. This God hoped Noah would build the ark after a few firmly delivered nudges. This God hoped Noah's family would come together, but God left them to their own devices. This was a God who was never far away but who did not intervene. This was a God whose first reaction at the realization that the storm would swallow up the Gossip was to wrap arms of comfort around her and guide her home. This was a God who shared the heartbreak that the Servant was drowning. This was a God who held her in loving arms as she died and her spirit departed. This was a God who shared the shock at the storm's devastation. This was a God who brought light in the darkness. This was a God who could forgive any transgression -- and be forgiven. This was a God who could worship in partnership with humanity. This was a God who did not need sacrifice. This was a God humbled by individual transformation. This was a God whose thanksgiving for that transformation was the gift of promise, the gift of hope, the gift of the rainbow. This was a God who sees the potential for every member of humanity to be God's "darling dear."
This was my God.
At first it had seemed like a lark, a sophisticated joke even, a sign of God's sense of humor that I who have spent so much of the past year struggling with my own concept and theology of God should be selected to play God. It was an irony that was not lost on anyone who knows me well.
But soon, something that had seemed like a fun challenge, an intellectual exercise became almost a spiritual practice. It didn't take long for me to realize and accept the incredible responsibility involved in being asked to embody God.
I wanted to understand every line. I wanted to be deliberate about every action. I wanted to consider carefully every reaction.
It was important to me that God be played as a God I could believe in. It was important to me not to present a caricature of God. It was important to me that we somehow be able to better understand this Genesis God.
When we decided not to do two versions of the play, I lost the ability to portray an "Old Testament" God in one play and a post-modern Process God in the other. And that proved to be quite a gift to forming this character. It forced me to put all the natures of God into one character, just as I am forced to do in life. How do we reconcile a God who seems to select one family to save, a God who would wipe out almost all of humanity with the God of the rainbow, the God of promise and hope?
It was important to me that God's actions not appear to cause the storm, even though the lines would suggest it. And that was a suggestion that came from Lori Anne and direction that came from Melinda, too.
This was a God who is close to humanity. A God who abides among all Creation, even though many are unaware. This was a God who directs and leads and guides and hopes. This God hoped Noah would build the ark after a few firmly delivered nudges. This God hoped Noah's family would come together, but God left them to their own devices. This was a God who was never far away but who did not intervene. This was a God whose first reaction at the realization that the storm would swallow up the Gossip was to wrap arms of comfort around her and guide her home. This was a God who shared the heartbreak that the Servant was drowning. This was a God who held her in loving arms as she died and her spirit departed. This was a God who shared the shock at the storm's devastation. This was a God who brought light in the darkness. This was a God who could forgive any transgression -- and be forgiven. This was a God who could worship in partnership with humanity. This was a God who did not need sacrifice. This was a God humbled by individual transformation. This was a God whose thanksgiving for that transformation was the gift of promise, the gift of hope, the gift of the rainbow. This was a God who sees the potential for every member of humanity to be God's "darling dear."
This was my God.
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