‘Once again, the wilful destruction of life is on our minds, challenging our understanding of goodness and, indeed, God.’
A case in point: Barrie Mahoney’s Thought for the week
‘Is it right that we alone determine who is “God Inspired”?’
Why did this happen? Why was it allowed to happen? Who is ultimately responsible? These are just some of the questions we ask, together with our cries for justice. We know that the pain and anguish felt by parents who have lost a child is even greater under such tragic and cruel circumstances. We feel their pain but have no answers.
In circumstances such as these, my mind becomes troubled by the oft-expressed Quaker view of ‘that of God in everyone’. Many Quakers use this phrase when trying to explain what it means to be a Quaker. Indeed, I have sometimes used it myself, particularly when looking for an answer that isn’t too complicated. But the more cynical of my correspondents have often responded to my words with a puzzled ‘What about Hitler, Mussolini or (currently) Putin? Are you saying that these people were also God-inspired?’ It is a difficult question to answer, and one that has troubled me for many years. In my reply, I now replace our usual phrase with ‘the potential of God within everyone’, which I am much more comfortable with.
I often wonder if Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson or other controversial figures could be said to be ‘God inspired’. We must be careful here, since our own views can be driven by personal prejudice. We may believe that these people fall outside what is politically acceptable, or outside what we think God would approve of, but how do we know? The opposite may be true.
Similar concerns were raised at our Meeting this week. It was, as usual, interesting to hear the views and thoughts of others. Is it right that we alone determine who is ‘God Inspired’? For me, the answer was beautifully expressed by a Friend who gave a horticultural explanation. His understanding is that the goodness of God is within all of us from birth, as a tiny seed. As with all seeds, if it is watered, fed and nurtured, it will grow into a strong and healthy plant. If not, it will wither and die.
During these unsettled times, the simple comparison of the goodness of God with the growth and nurture of a tiny seed has, for me, given an explanation that I can live with.
