"The Absolute likes to play within itself"
Ned Bittenger, TM teacher, 1977
Another one of those quotes that guide me. GDW is certainly both omnipresent and omnipotent, but I don't think omniscient applies. I think GDW has left us with free will and from time to time we make surprising choices. Everything in our world, good and bad, is part of the game that GDW plays within itself. Knowing how everything is going to turn out rather defeats the entire point of free will.
We like to think that no matter what happens "the Almighty has a plan" -- but we don't actually know that. We don't even know if there is an Almighty to have a plan. I think it is possible that while GDW may not know what is going to happen, there are paths already indicated by past choices. I rather like the idea that GDW can be surprised by us.
I have come to believe that at some point in our very distant past, early hominids were little different from other animals, being both predator and prey depending on the circumstances. They moved through life based on instinct. Then there was a magic moment when empathy was exhibited for the first time. Perhaps it was a male saving someone else's child from a predator. Perhaps it was a female feeding strangers when food is already scarce. It is at this point that humankind finally had free will.
And just as Genesis states, it is at this point that humans can choose between good and evil. It is at this point that we enter the Hedge Maze with free will as to which paths to choose. And yes, what we can learn from our experiences in moving towards the Center can make us very like gods. We are made of the flesh of reality animated by part of GDW.
Empathy is what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. As long as we are neither hungry or afraid, we can exercise our free will to make considered choices between options.
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