Is God incomplete without you?

In my living room are a variety of sentimental artifacts, including card decks from some of my favorite books, among them, Disappearance of the Universe by Gary Renard and A Course in Miracles. I was always intimidated by the Course until I read Renard’s wonderfully insightful book. Bless him! Most of the missing pieces from years of spiritual sleuthing finally fell into place. All the fuzzy stuff suddenly became clear. I had an even better understanding of God, Life and the purpose of the Earth experience.

When I discovered that digestible morsels from the book had been captured on a deck of cards, I had to own one and share it. Invariably, soon after guests sit on the sofa, they reach over, grab a card or an entire handful, and discover one, then another and another that speaks to them.

Frequently, they ask if they can keep a particular card. My response is always the same: “If it resonated with you, it surely will resonate with someone else, so let’s make sure it’s there so that they can enjoy it, too.”

The card that hit the sweet spot for two guests last week was one of my favorites from my A Course in Miracles deck. When she read it aloud, I was surprised that it resonated with me as deeply as it did the first time I saw it:

“God Himself is incomplete without me,” Josie said.

My heart skipped a beat. Again. I was reminded that if a spark of the omnipresent God is within each of us—whether or not we choose to acknowledge or behave as if we are the Spiritual Light of the physical world—we are an integral part of the Whole, the only thing that eternally exists in the Universe: God.

Of course, we don’t have to believe everything we read. However, I found that the idea of being part of the greatness that is God not only empowering; it challenged me to step it up, do better and be better. Moreover, it not only made me feel closer and truly loved; I felt that I was actually part of that unconditional love. I was challenged to reflect that love in my interactions with other souls.

"God is incomplete without me." I tried it on for size. It looked good and it felt good. In fact, it made me feel that I was good. From childhood, I had been taught that God was way, way over there and I was, well, way over here. For years, I had recited in church that I was “not worthy.” What child really believes that her parents love her if they make her feel that she’s unworthy and encourages others to tell her that she’s unworthy? What child loves herself if she believes that she is unworthy? How does that impact her self esteem, not to mention her behavior? Is it destructive or constructive?

I had a colleague who used to wear a t-shirt that said, “Act Godly.” For me, it was a wonderful reminder to be unconditionally loving, patient and forgiving; allow others the free will to meet the natural consequences of their actions. Others might receive a different message from it, depending upon their perception of God. To them, “acting godly” might mean being dictatorial, intervening, angry, condescending, spiteful, punitive, filicidal and/or genocidal.

It’s a slippery slope that should make us watch our steps. At minimum, it encourages us to be aware of our beliefs and the impact those beliefs have on our behavior.

I don’t doubt that some are appalled by the idea that we are close to God, not to mention part of God. Many might consider such an idea preposterous, if not sacrilegious. They may even feel that God would be offended by the idea that mere humans would consider themselves divine. In fact, within the first hour of posting this, three people unsubscribed. So we must acknowledge and respect that viewpoint.

What do you think: Are you part of the Whole, which makes God incomplete without you–or is God separate and complete despite you?