Godipendence!

As I was thinking over the concept of God, their JD (job description), the role, and the responsibilities they assume in our lives and careers, a theory began to take shape in my mind. I named it 'Godipendence,' a term denoting independence from the thought of God as the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent overseer, creator and possibly the greatest superhero ever conceived!

To make this abstract concept more accessible, let's embark on this explorative journey together, armed with our metaphorical compasses - real-world instances, historical anecdotes, and thought experiments.

The Duality of Creation:

Suppose God is the Creator... If they're the architect of existence, then it stands to reason that both the noble and the ignoble, the good and the evil, originate from them. After all, a single tree can bear both sweet and bitter fruit, can't it?

Think of Shiva, the Hindu god embodying the cosmic cycle of creation and destruction. Life, like Shiva's cosmic dance, oscillates between harmony and chaos, birth and death, the sweet and the sour.

Divine Attribution:

Praise is generally the first reaction when things go according to plan - we extend our thanks to God. It's a wonderful acknowledgement of their divine intervention. However, do we hold God responsible for mishaps - be it a tragic accident, an unforgiving flood, or a devastating plane crash? A handful might, but the majority of us tend to exonerate God, believing they couldn't possibly orchestrate such calamities. If not God, then who pulls the strings behind these unfortunate events? In the face of trials, we seldom direct our frustration towards God. Why this selective attribution? Perhaps our hearts intuitively understand that our relationship with the Divine isn't about blame or credit, but about companionship through life's highs and lows.

Consider the painful journey of the Pandavas in the Indian epic, Mahabharata. Despite the severe hardships they faced, their hearts stayed steadfast in faith, embodying the spirit of Godipendence.

The God as an Author Analogy:

Imagine God as an author. They pen down the opening line of an epic story – the creation of the Universe. The subsequent chapters, characters, plots, and subplots evolve independently, shaped by the forces of nature, chance, and free will.

Think of J.K. Rowling, who created the Harry Potter universe. Once the books were published, the stories took on a life of their own in the readers' imaginations, leading to fan theories, spin-offs, and adaptations that the original author never anticipated. This is akin to God's universe, which unfolds according to its intrinsic dynamics and laws.

Godipendence - A New Paradigm:

'Godipendence' invites us to perceive God not as a cosmic puppet master but as the initiator, the primordial poet who sets the grand cosmic orchestra in motion and allows it to play its symphony.

Reflect on the life of Mahatma Gandhi. He believed in an all-pervading divine power, but his actions were guided by his principles of truth and non-violence, not by a presumed divine mandate. His life beautifully embodies this theory, where we are co-creators in this grand cosmic play, with God as the original instigator. Similarly, reflect on the life of Swami Vivekananda. While acknowledging the divine, he preached "strength is life, weakness is death." His teachings focused on empowering oneself, perfectly encapsulating the Godipendence theory - we are the artists of our lives, with God providing the canvas and the colours.

This theory isn't an attempt to dismiss God's existence or role. Instead, it provides a refreshing perspective on our relationship with the Divine. It paints a picture of God as the primal artist who provided the canvas (the universe) and the colours (the physical laws, chance, and free will) but leaves the painting (the unfolding of the universe and our lives) to us. We're, therefore, co-artists and co-creators with God, responsible for our actions, and have the power to shape our destiny.

Isn't that a more empowering and inspiring way to think about God, allowing us to look at our relationship with the Divine in a different light?

Thank you for reading this article, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts, experiences, and insights as we unravel this thought together.