Angelology....Below, I have included my written and artistic reflection of my independent study this quarter as a part of my Masters of Divinity. Enjoy.
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In the realm of the Spirit, nothing is concrete. Perhaps it can best be described as grasping at fog, or approaching an asymptotic frontier that cannot be reached through the lens of human understanding; yet, I have come to believe that the Spirit realm exists, contained within the Mystery that some of us refer to as God.
While Angelology is not often discussed in contemporary theological circles, it was a topic of exploration among many of the greatest theological minds in history. As I explored St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, along with all of the scriptural references to the Angelic, I couldn't help but wonder why we don't pay more attention to this aspect of systematic theology?
With my innate curiosity in hand, I walked into the study of Angels. As I emerge on the other side, I believe this realm was created along with the entirety of space, time, and all that is. St. Augustine attributed this to the creation of the "light" in Genesis.
Though it cannot be comprehended, I sense that the Spirit world it is strongly connected to human experience. Angels are often referred to as messengers. They mark significant moments in time. They can be reminders of the Grace of God. It is important to observe, however, that even the purest angels can also be terrifying in the eyes of humanity, as we see this again and again throughout the bible. This paradox seems theologically appropriate given the way that the light of God is both illuminating and burning in its intensity.
Scriptural references and theological musings give a glimpse of that which we might see, feel, or sense when making contact with the Angelic or the Demonic in every day life. I believe we experience the darkness and the light - the angelic and demonic - LOVE and sin - all side by side. While I am fairly certain that nonduality and paradox apply here, it seems important to acknowledge that shadows lurk among humanity. Scripture and theological discourse includes a discussion of fallen angels, expressing that there are those who turned away from God and therefore became unteathered from the ground of Being.
Light overcomes darkness. Shadows lack substance. All of it can be reconciled back to God simply through the connection of LOVE.
Thus we walk with Angels - some known and many unseen. It is the light that I choose to gaze upon, as it warms my being and continuously nurtures the greening power of God. It is the LOVE I choose to focus my attention upon, as it is my connection to Mystery.
I will add one final note here - This walk with Angels provided me with an unintentional opportunity to grasp the notion of double predestination. I have struggled with my own Presbyterian denomination, as Calvin was among those that emphasized God's fore-knowledge of those that are saved and those that are damned. This theological idea goes back to Augustine, who was among my favorites...yet I could not understand how he arrived at the double predestination conclusion. Enter my reading of City of God. As I contemplated St. Augustine's discussion of the Angelic and the Demonic, I realized that light and darkness do indeed exist in a differentiated state. Furthermore, I slowly began to grasp the awareness that those fallen angels must have been known to God before they chose to turn away from the light. In this sense, God - being beyond all time and space and anything objectively created - would know of the damned through God's omnipotence and omniscience. Rather than see God as an anthropomorphic judge,however, I saw what I can only describe as a weeping parent aware of what's to come and unable to change it because the love that is to be given from created to Creator must be free...and I imagined this weeping Parent ever present, ever loving, ever willing to forgive all of it with just the slighted flicker of freely given LOVE.
Of course, all of this raises significant questions. There are no easy answers in theological study. I find myself wondering what this means for those that turn away from God - is that even possible? Does God's LOVE and Grace stop pouring forth just because creation turns away, or does it continue especially in times of struggle, pain and suffering? What does this mean for the betrayal of blasphemy among Angels, Demons and Humans? All of these questions are appropriate, as theology must be understood within the tension of paradoxical opposites.
Thus, my journey toward becoming a theologian continues, if anything because I have been given an insatiable curiosity that I can only attribute to the blessing seed within.
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