Kahlil Gibran, the master story teller in his parable, 'God' in the book titled ‘The Madman’, describes how human beings experience God in a progressive way.
First, man considered himself a ‘slave’ and addressed God as ‘Master’. “Thy hidden will is my law and I shall obey thee forever”. But God refused to answer. Second, man addressed God as ‘Creator’, considering himself as ‘creation’: “Out of clay hast thou fashioned me and to thee I owe mine all”. And God made no answer. Third, man thought he is the ‘son’ of God and addressed him as ‘Father’. “In pity and love thou hast given me birth, and through love and worship I shall inherit thy kingdom”. And again God passed by without giving an answer. Finally, man addressed God saying, “My God, my aim and fulfilment; I am thy yesterday and thou art my tomorrow. I am thy ‘root’ in the earth and thou art my ‘flower’ in the sky, and together we grow before the face of the sun”. Then God leaned over and whispered words of sweetness in man’s ear, and enfolded him.
This concept of man and God as root and flower of a tree is a profound understanding of our relationship with God. It shows that we are not two separated beings, but two parts of the same tree – root and flower. Of course, being influenced by the Holy Scriptures, our understanding of God and our relationship with him grow in a progressive manner. But it reaches its peak when we are able to say God and I are one. Jesus, for whom God was a loving father, could say: “I and the Father are one” (Jn 10:30). He could confidently say this because he had the fullness of divinity in him while being also fully human. A close follower of Jesus, St Paul, was able to express his relationship with Christ: “It’s no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:16).
The Hindu scripture, Upanishad, speaks of 'Atman' of self which is the immortal existence of mortal being. Atman is hidden in every object of creation. And this Atman is Brahman itself, present in created beings. This is yet another way of saying that I am divine as much as I am human.
In spite of the mortality and corruptibility of our earthly existence, there is also the divine being present in us. And if divine being is so present in us, our worth and value as human-divine beings are immeasurable. This concept also shows how each of us is related and connected as being part of the one divine being and how much we need to accept, respect and uphold life as it manifests in our humanity and divinity. This is when, God leans over and whispers words of sweetness in our ears, and enfolds us.
