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Yet, as with Hume, some images are detrimental to our spiritual evolution and, also, our health as persons and communities.
A man in a church I served in the 1980s suffered the sudden death of his young son of age 19. The boy was electrocuted by a live wire, while working on a car and lying in some water. At the wake, I talked with the father. He said, "God told me I was to be a deacon in the church, and I did not do it. I think that is why he did this to my son."
I tried to reason with this heart-broken and guilt-ridden father. I was saddened this father, who needed to be free to grieve his son, was obsessed with the thought God killed his son for the parent not serving in a church role. Nothing I said dissuaded him from his sense of remorse.
This is the same "god" I was taught as a child. I recall, when a small boy, standing in the aisle of our little church. A group of men was talking about another small child dying. They were discussing the possibility "God" had killed the child to punish the parents.
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As to the usefulness and appropriateness of any sacred image, I offer these questions.
1) Does the image help me sense a felt-connection with the Sacred?
The felt-connection is an affective, bodily sense of the Holy.
2) Does the image reflect the highest of aspirations and ethics?
The Sacred is meant to challenge us to noble ideas and living.
3) Does the image inspire me toward compassion for all beings - not just human?
Compassion entails a heartfelt wish for the well-being of others, as well as a feeling of the suffering of others.
4) Does the image inspire me to relate with all Nature as a manifestation of the Sacred?
"Manifestation" means Nature itself and all creatures are images of God.
5) Does the image lead me into reverence and awe of the Absolute?
While feeling safe with the Sacred, there are times we rightly feel overwhelmed by the immensity of the Ineffable. Being comfortable with the Absolute needs to be balanced with its apparent opposite: discomfort.
6) Does the image communicate to me that the Holy is a safe space to be and totally honest with?
Being honest can mean sharing what we truly think or feel or opening ourselves totally in the silence, making ourselves naked before the Sacred. The honesty can incorporate confession, spoken or unspoken.
7) Has the image led to my being a joyful person?
Joy, subtle but apparent, is a fruit of Spirit. Something is wrong if one is on a path not leading to a more joyful, even if more difficult, life. Sadly, much religion is associated with misery, not bliss, seriousness, not glee.
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