OMNI
The three “omni” attributes of God characterize him as all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present. 1https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/omnipotence-omniscience-omnipresence-god/#:~:text=The%20three%20“omni”%20attributes%20of,lordship%20of%20the%20true%20God.
Embracing a reality that God is present everywhere all the time — God’s presence, constant communion with Him—must define the journey. 2https://www.georgeezell.com/2024/02/the-presence-of-god-4/
Reading and discussing “Practicing the Presence of God” evolved into an examination belief that God is present everywhere, all the time.
Prior to that experience had I been asked, “Do you believe God is omnipresent?” I, as most Christians, would answer without reservation, “Yes, of course!” In my mind the question was: “Do you believe it is true that God is omnipresent?”. Now, as then, the answer is:”Of course!”
“Is it true?” is an essential question, but it is not sufficient. Until we ask “Is it real?” and answer “Of course!” belief can remain superficial—true but not real.
It is possible for belief to be a mirage, true but unreal. The Chicago skylines are real. but the mirage is an illusion. Mirage, an illusion of something that is real… true but unreal.. superficial and ineffectual.
Another helpful description is mental assent.
Mental assent means intellectually accepting the Word of God as true – admiring it and agreeing with it-but not allowing it to have an impact on you, so that it doesn’t do any good in your life. In essence, mental assent agrees with God but does not believe in God.
https://allankakinda.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/mental-assent-vs-faith-in-the-almighty-god/
A variation of mental assent is “sense knowledge.” This is the attitude that says, “If I cannot see it, then it is not real. I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Sense knowledge is the biggest obstacle to faith because; in many cultures we are trained and conditioned to live by our five senses alone. If we cannot analyze something and empirically conclude that it actually works, then we do not believe it is real. God says He has promised is already reality. Yet it won’t become manifested reality in our lives until we believe it is real before we see it-
Such belief is consistent with living in “a two story universe”
“We live here on earth, the first floor, where things are simply things and everything operates according to normal, natural laws, while God lives in heaven, upstairs, and is largely removed from the story in which we live. To effect anything here, God must interrupt the laws of nature and perform a miracle.” For us to see or hear from God, God has to come downstairs to visit us. But most of the time, it’s just us alone on the first floor. God is absent, upstairs and minding his own business.
FR Stephen Freeman
Contrary to bifurcated illusions of God’s presence in a “two story universe; the “really real” presence of God, is experienced in “a one story universe”.
God present everywhere all the time is the reality of a one story universe, where “..”in Him we move and have our being”. God is with us and has come to abide in us, and that makes the world we live in “the story”.
In a “one story universe” we no longer divide the world into ordinary and extraordinary; into usual and unusual, into sacred and secular. It is only then that we will have the possibility of knowing , much less living the Christian life.
Only in knowing him will we see the world and ourselves truly and understand the gates to paradise have been opened to us.Whenever Christians allow the Gospel to be shoved upstairs, we have allowed ourselves to be disregarded and the Gospel to be marginalized. 3credit to Fr Stephen Freeman https:www.ancientfaith.com/pocasts/freeman/
Next — living in a one story universe VS living in a two story universe.
STILL ON THE JOURNEY
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- 3credit to Fr Stephen Freeman https:www.ancientfaith.com/pocasts/freeman/