Stillness

June 25th, 2009

A certain stillness, of the mind if not of the body, is inextricably related to a certain knowledge, to a faithful knowledge that neither seeks nor attains a guarantee.  “Be still,” reads the biblical injunction, “and know that I am God.”  This does not mean, “Be still in order to know that I am God.”  Neither does it mean, “Be still because you know that I am God.”  The two commands are not consecutive.  They are parallel.  They could be separated by a colon rather than a conjunction, reading,  “Be still: Know that I am God.”  They imply that there is a stillness that is equivalent, correspondent, correlate to knowing that God is God.  The two statements repeat, reiterate, reinforce each other.  I am still: I know that God is God.  I know that God is God: I am still.

Posted in Philosophy, Theology | 3 Comments »

3 Responses to “Stillness”

  1. Curtis Says:
    June 25th, 2009 at 4:01 pm

    I am of the conclusion that the instruction is uniquely creative- in the sense that, all was still, and so God made. etc.

  2. jeremylukehill Says:
    June 25th, 2009 at 4:17 pm

    Curtis,

    I am unclear where the idea of creation is found in the statment, “Be still, and know that I am God”. How do you arrive at this conclusion?

  3. Curtis Says:
    June 25th, 2009 at 5:18 pm

    It’s completely creative, be still and be enacted upon. Stillness is a prerequisite in creation, at least in the fundamental aspect of beginning things. Be still and be renewed, be still, return to that creation moment. It’s not exactly explainable, but the spirit of it it undeniably creative, as in ‘God’s move’. I should say, reflect on it, and it will make sense, and that’s likely the only way it will.

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