Powerless 11 - Complex God Complex

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Playing God

I'm probably dating myself with this picture, but among many who have played "God" in Hollywood, these two come to mind when I think of which "Gods" I prefer to remember.  Most often the "God" of movies is terrifying and faceless, and so a more lighthearted and understanding "God" is who I am drawn to.

Other movies cast plenty of faces for the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Depending on the director, this "Jesus" can have all sorts of characteristics - from suffering Savior to supernatural overlord, some crazed, some compassionate. However, all with a face that develops our image of the Lord.

When the actors are interviewed, there is a striking difference between those who are cast for the role of "God" and those cast for "Jesus". Those who play "God" joke about the Genie in the Lamp type powers, while those who play "Jesus" are humbled by the experience. Isn't it odd how the reactions to playing different members of the Godhead can be so complexly different?

What's my role?

"Jesus take the wheel", "Let go and let God", "You are the master of your own destiny!" It's a struggle for me to figure out which advice to take from day to day.  Is it my role to master my trade? Is it my job to stop the rain? Is it my job to make amends? It's not only the life or death decisions that doctors and government has to take that can be seen as having a "God Complex."

Some days, getting ready for work, I say "I want to wear this." Other days, I ask God for guidance. Some days, I have a plan of action. Others, I ask God for guidance. The list of sharing the wheel of my drive between myself and God is endless.  If you've been reading since the beginning, you'll see at some point, I got in the driver's seat and stayed there. It wasn't until I realized how lost I was until I said, "God, take control!"

Two Gods

The inevitable question of faith when talking to atheists - but more importantly when I am evaluating my own intentions - is, "Did God truly make man in His own image, or did man make god in his own image?" In Christian circles it even gets heated. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all paint a picture of Jesus a different way - it's no wonder that the majority of Christians choose the Paul version.  Each of the apostles - like ourselves - see God, Christ, Angels, Demons, and mankind with a different perspective.

But theology aside, I focus on the reality of my everyday life.  Do I choose my will over God's will? Do I choose the will of my boss, government, and friends over God? Do I choose making money, my sports team, or even food over the Creator of the universe? I could write a whole book about what I've seen others choose as their slave master - for me, I'd have to say it is work and cigarettes... again.

"No one can be a slave to two masters; he will hate one and love the other; he will be loyal to one and despise the other; he will be loyal to one and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24)  My alternate god is not the spaghetti monster, but I might have been interested to leave church a little early during football season so I don't miss the kick-off. It's not that complex when I catch myself thinking like this - I simply have to realize that I am trying to play God, and that is recipe for problems.

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