Listening to God

Illustration by Natalie d'Arbeloff

I am a fan of Augustine's Blog, on which she has been having an on-going Interview with God. I discovered the space through Real Live Preacher, and as has been true of many things he has recommended, I have not been disappointed.

Often, when people presume to speak for God - or interview God - they end up just putting their own words and prejudices into God's mouth. Or, they end up putting some variation of Deepak Chopra new-age speak into God's mouth.

Through most of the God Interview series at Augustine's place, it's been clear that the author carefully meditates on the topic before creating the illustrated interview. I get the impression that Natalie truly strives to allow God to speak through her creation.

I've been anticipating the latest interview for some time; it's been at least a month since the last segment in this series. So, while there was much to enjoy about this segment, I was mildly disappointed.

Here's the basics: God and Augustine are discussing love. Near the end of the strip, God explains that love is a problem for humans because we think it's a feeling.

"It isn't?" asks Augustine. "Of course not," God replies, "it's energy."

Now, I'll agree that one of the problems Westerners have with love is the belief that it is a feeling. Part of the problem is what we call love is usually either about sex or limerace. Either of these might grow into love, if both parties are willing to do the work. Unfortunately, either can also lead to unhealthy places as well.

So, I want to unpack the statement that love is energy. On the surface, the statement is so amorphous that it resembles the new-age speak I disdained earlier.

This notion of love as energy may be related to Mother Sarah's definition of faith. In brief, she defines faith as trust in action. If love is energy, this is true because love is an action rather than a feeling.

I think it's significant that this interview segment begins in a movie theater, which is showing a movie titled "Alien Love". This suggests that God's understanding of love in action is alien to us.

After his statement about energy, God says "If you're stuck in the feeling, you haven't got the energy." Which makes a great deal of sense. If I am constantly obsessing on MY feelings, or worrying about how someone is responding to ME, then I don't have the energy to focus on the other.

In the penultimate panel, God explains that we are already plugged in to the energy of love, and the last panel shows a cord going from God to Augustine.

In the hymn that appears in the 13th chapter of St Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he explains that love is the greatest spiritual gift. I believe Paul, in talking about the agape the early Christians strove for, is talking about love in action, which is the love energy discussed in this interview.