Tuesday 20 May 2008

A city taken for G-d

I read a post on Losing my Religion about envisioning a city "taken for God". I was inspired! What would that entail? Here is my response...and thank you Jeff for the inspiration!!

A city "taken for G-d"?

First of all, it would be a place where it is finally understood that G-d is too large, to wonderful, too "other and beyond our simple imaginations" to fit within any one religion. It would be a place of peace, of open-minded inquiry, a place where human laws and rules would be unnecessary because people would be living in submission to G-d directly.

It would be a city of beauty, where art and music and dance flourish, and our minds are finally free from the stress of survival and able to explore all the vast potential we've been endowed with. Science, philosophy, mathematics, and literature would grow and evolve at a pace unimaginable in our work-based world.

Children and old people alike would be cherished and cared for by all. Families would be the prime concern, rather than corporations or profit. Labels like ethnicity and religion would be at most ways to joyfully describe the incredible diversity of G-d's creation. There would be no attempts to "convert" or "proselytize" anyone, because we would live in wisdom and see that there many paths to the mountain top.

Gender and all that comes with it would be honored and respected as two parts of a whole. Male and female, female and male. Equal, certainly. But different. Thankfully. Neither would be seen as superior -- just uniquely fashioned for their role in creating and sustaining life.

Housing would be life-affirming...open to air and sunshine and breezes and star-lit nights. Food would be chosen so as to do no harm...no being would have to die to lie on our tables or feed our appetites. Energy would come from the earth without ravaging it...solar, wind, hydrogen. Silent and free. We would share our gifts, some as healers, some as teachers, some as makers of things, some as fixers ...but no one would have to spend most of their days or hours doing a job ill-suited to their God-given talents and interests.

Clothing would be beautiful, soft, comfortable. The concept of in-fashion or out-of-fashion would fall away, along with unhealthy shoes, underwire bras, neckties, and skin tight jeans. Medical care would focus first on encouraging health and preventing disease. It would see the whole person, and not just one organ or one problem. All kinds of medicine would be welcome...the wisdom of Asia, the useful technology of the West, the gentle healing of Ayurveda...and no profit would be taken from sickness.

Visitors would be welcome, and residents would often travel in order to gather more wisdom and bring it back to the city.

And talking about G-d and spiritual matters in public would be no longer considered "in bad taste"!

Ah, that such a city could exist! Thank you for the dream!!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope that, one day, we will see that dream become reality. Perhaps not in this life, but it describes the next one very well.

Anonymous said...

P.S. I tagged you for a meme.