THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE FORMULA FOR FOREVER

When speaking of anything that has to do with God, humans are at a disadvantage. Our human nature (being), sentient though it is, is not even in the same ballpark as divine nature. The gulf is so great that human intelligence can only know what it can know within its natural limits. God had to step down from being God (purely a human term, which is not entirely accurate) to take on our human nature. (Philippians 2:5-12) No one has ever seen God, but God’s Son, Jesus, revealed him to us.

1 In the beginning^* was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.^a 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3^* All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.^b What came to be 4 through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;^c 5^* the light shines in the darkness,^d and the darkness has not overcome it. 6^* A man named John was sent from God.^e7He came for testimony,^* to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.^f8 He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.^g 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.^h

10 He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people^* did not accept him. 12ⁱ But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13^*j who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh^*and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.^k 15^* John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said,^l ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’”16 From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace,^*17 because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.^m18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God,^* who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.ⁿ

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1

To approach the unsolvable equation, I had to realize that what I am dealing with is a mixture of what is peculiar to human nature but also what incorporates what we are able to discern about divine nature, based on what Christ told us. This duality of natures doesn’t make sense with the limited knowledge and measurement that the secular world provides us. The divine equation comes from God and is solved with the energy of God. Humans can pick up some of it through Scriptures, the writings of early fathers and mothers of the Church, the ecumenical councils, and the magisterium of the Church.

If I were to write an executive summary (short and sweet) about the Divine Equation, it might go something like this.

God loved me so much that He emptied Himself taking on the nature of a human being as Christ Jesus in all things but sin to make it possible that I might claim my inheritance as the son (or daughter) of the Father and live in Heaven with all the righteous..forever.

Characteristics of this Divina Equation Formula

A formula is a set of scientific or logical statements that someone uses to solve a problem or, as in theoretical mathematics and physics, go where no one has gone before. The famous Frank Drake equation with its formula about the probability of life existing elsewhere in the universe is one of my favorite. Dr. Drake proposed this formula, and people have been trying to fill in the blanks ever since. They are getting there. My point is, there is an equation that people are trying to solve. Here is the Drake Equation to answer the Fermi Paradox: Where is everybody? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation

Equation[edit]

The Drake equation is:{\displaystyle N=R_{*}\cdot f_{\mathrm {p} }\cdot n_{\mathrm {e} }\cdot f_{\mathrm {l} }\cdot f_{\mathrm {i} }\cdot f_{\mathrm {c} }\cdot L}

where:N = the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which communication might be possible (i.e. which are on our current past light cone);

and R_∗ = the average rate of star formation in our galaxy _p = the fraction of those stars that have planets _e = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets f _l = the fraction of planets that could support life that actually develops life at some point _i = the fraction of planets with life that actually go on to develop intelligent life (civilizations) f _c = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space L = the length of time for which such civilizations release detectable signals into space^[5][6]

Science, logic, and even the Catholic Church all have equations that seek to uncover what is real. In the case of science and those whose assumptions are merely the physical and mental universes, it is determining what is using the languages of mathematics, physics, logic, and peer review. Not only is science a critical part of being human and our search for meaning in what we can and cannot see, it is a defining characteristic of our movement from animality to rationality. But is that all there is to the evolution of the human experiment? There must be more to it than a progression of seventy or eighty years for each individual and then, like the rest of matter, we return to the dust.

My approach (those who seek to know what is real by both looking at what is and what cannot be seen by Science), is a collection of experiences of people who see reality from the viewpoint of that there are three universes, each distinct, each with a different measuring stick, but one reality. For lack of a better title, I call it the Rule of Threes. You might have a different approach. Both you and I have the ability to know that we know but also to choose what is good or bad for us. In truth, no one chooses what is bad for them, which seems to be at the nexus of the human dilemna: If I have the ability to choose what is good for me, where does that choice come from: from my heart or the Christ Principle? One choice comes from inside me the other is a choice I select from outside of me but one which I hold to be the center of my existence. Each human has such a center, one that only we can select. A problem, due to the vagaries of Original Sin and its effects, is that this center is revolving, i.e., I must work constantly like a gardner to keep myself centered.

The Church Universal is just a big file cabinet of each person’s life, data, if you will, to show how the collective in heaven, on earth, and awaiting purification did with having in them the mind of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5). To use a very poor but very human analogy, Heaven will be having access to that file cabinet so that, like a library, we can take out each file and measure ourselves against it and see how we did, how close we came to loving Christ as he loved us.

GOD’S FILE CABINET

God is the file cabinet that contains all there is, every atom, every thought people ever had, the choices each person made and their consequences. We can look at every file there is and see the linkages with everything else and how we are linked together into one thread that ends in the heart of Christ. These files are not dead pieces of paper, but living persons with whom can interact. The first thing I would ask is: What center have you chosen for your life and what were the struggles you had to keep it there? Here are some centers I want to approach to seek wisdom for myself as a Lay Cistercian.

I. What is God’s Center: Why does God need a center? As I understand it and propose this for your consideration, a center is that which is at the core of your being, the one principle, that, if you took it away, all else would crumble. It is the capstone, the reason for existence, even as a divine being. Because we are seeking things we know not, we can only speculate on what it is but give it our best shot with the knowledge we have at the time.

God’s center is himself. God is not male nor female or both. God’s gender is who he is. There is no tock to God’s one tick. Human categories of thinking can’t begin to describe this phenomena because the only source of who God is, is God.

If we use an imperfect but human analogy of an archer’s target, humans aim for the 100 percent bulls eye, which is the best score. It is the center, the prize for archers to try to achieve consistently and accurately. Each human has a center that they must discover in their lifetime, the one point on the bulls eye to which all other scores are subordinate. There are never two 100% centers to your life. But what about God’s center, being 100% of his divine nature. Speaking in broad terms, like Dr. Frank Drake did when speculating about the possibility of life out there, God is the entire bulls eye. The 100% is the entire target. There is no 99% of what is real. The problems human face in their attempt at a center is that we can never reach 100% of our nature by our human reasoning alone or by anything we choose of this world, be is love, or fame or fortune.

God told us not to worry about not being able to define ourselves. He told Moses that His name is, “I am the one who is.” God did not give us the Divine Equation for who He is because we humans do not have the capacity or capability to receive it. I have come to the realization that God is just 100% of his nature, and I don’t begin to know what that means from God’s perspective. So, God has a problem. How does he talk to humanity without talking down to them and disrespecting them? God’s problems (the Alpha) are the solution (the Omega). In the Genesis accounts (Gen. 2-3), He would send Himself as a human to reestablish the linkage between divine and human nature that Adam and Eve disrespected and cause dissonance in the world (Original Sin). (Philippians 2:5-12) This Divine Equation is a mega-formula whereby humans can access the Divine Internet and call upon the name of the Lord for mercy, for forgiveness, for life, for the way, and for the truth.

THE NUCLEAR FUSION OF GOD

Everything we know of takes energy, so what fuels God?

Applying the Divine Equation to this question, (remember, I can’t say this is who God is, but I can say these are the reflections of a Lay Cistercian using my reason and freedom of choice offered to me for my consideration by the Holy Spirit in my Lectio Divina), God is 100% of who He is, whatever that is. This Being realized that humans (in the Old Testament) would never answer the six questions of life needed to fulfill their destiny as sons and daughters of the Father but needed help. Both the answers and the authentic answers to these six questions come, not from logic, nor human reasoning, although without human reasoning we would not be able to move or next generation of evolution, the spiritual universe. God sent Jesus, the Messiah, to us to share with each of those who want the power to move from rationality to spirituality.

This power is a person, the Holy Spirit, the nuclear fission of God’s own center overshadowing us. By ourselves, humans are powerless to lift ourselves up by our bootstraps to become adopted sons and daughters of the Father. Our nature cannot approach divine nature. We would fry our neurons with the overload of knowledge, love, and service from the interaction of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Rather, like the Blessed Mother, we are overshadowed by the Second Advocate, the Holy Spirit, which gives us the power of God as we can receive it. This is not a one-time conversion and then we just ride the roller coaster of life until we get to Heaven, but rather the power from God to claim our adoption as sons and daughters of the Father and to claim our inheritance. This kingdom of heaven is the Church Universal, in heaven, now on earth, and for those for whom we pray for purification.

Divine nature is pure energy, pure knowledge, pure love, and pure service. Like the Rule of Threes, there is one nature but three distinct persons. Do you begin to see a pattern to this Divine Equation? Science does not yet possess the formula to encompass all reality, just the physical universe alone. It is not that it is limited as much as it is not advanced enough to account for pure energy. What is needed is the mathematics or physics of Energy. God has the answers and actually gave us this Divine Equation but it demands one die to self and the world to be open to the totality of the possibility of the manifestibility of all being encounter. One of the first things I will do in Heaven, after being one with my family in the oneness of Christ, will be to ask to have lunch with Carl Sagan, Steven Hawking, Einstein, Enrico Fermi, and Paul Dirac to ask them, “With what you know now, how do you see science and what it has evolved into? What do you think of the Divine Equation now? Can you take me on a tour?

How does God allow humans to be human and yet approach pure energy without destroying all memories and erasing the hard drive of our short life span? God so loved the world that he sent His only Son. I would like to take some time to reflect on the following passage. I offer it because it is not just a quote but the context in which you can feel what the writers felt about the absolutely incredible Christ Principle, flowing in and out of all space and time towards Omega, and we are passengers with that same Christ Jesus.

1^a Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.^*2He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.”^b3Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born^* from above.”4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”^c5Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.^d6What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.^e7Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’8The wind^* blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”^f9Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can this happen?”10Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?11Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.^g12If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?^h13No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.ⁱ14And just as Moses lifted up^* the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,^j15^* so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”16For God so loved the world that he gave^* his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.^k17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn^* the world, but that the world might be saved through him.^l18Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.^m19^* And this is the verdict,ⁿ that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.^o21But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.^p

Final Witness of the Baptist.22^* After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing.^q23John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,^* because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, 24^*r for John had not yet been imprisoned.25Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew^* about ceremonial washings.26So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”^s27John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven.^t28You yourselves can testify that I said [that] I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him.^u29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man,^* who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete.^v30He must increase; I must decrease.”^w

The One from Heaven.^*31The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven [is above all].^x32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.^y33Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.^z34For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift^* of the Spirit.35The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.^a36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.^b

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3

II. What is the Father’s Center? One God. Pure energy and pure knowledge. He is the Lord of Creation.

III. What is the Son’s Center? OneGod. Pure energy and pure love. He is the Lord of Redemption, the Messiah fulfilled, our Advocate with the Father. At the same time, there is a hypostatic union of humanity and divinity. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07610b.htm

IV. What is the Holy Spirit’s Center? One God. Pure energy and pure service. He is the Lord of Truth, our Second Advocate before the Father.

V. What is my center? There is only one of me. I have reason and the ability to choose what I think is right for me. The problem is, sometimes I choose those things that are unauthentic about love, knowledge, and service. Whatever I place at my center, there my heart is, there my God is. I realized that God so loved me that, even if I sin or choose Satan over me, He still loves me unconditionally. He leaves me free to choose anything without reprisals and send me to Hell. God doesn’t send anyone to Hell, did you know that? If I go to Hell, it is because, knowing what I am doing, knowing the consequences of my sins, I still choose Satan over God. It is because I am unrepentant and prefer hatred to love. We will be judged according to our actions. (Matthew 25).

VI. What is the center of the Church Universal? Yes, the Church has a center. It should be the same center you have, to have in you the mind of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5) Read about it in the Scriptures, the Early Writings of the Church, The Ecumenical Councils, the Creeds, the teachings through the Magisterium down through each age. Christ tells us to love each other as He loved us. The Church is the incarnation of Christ in each age, in each individual lifetime through Baptism. The Church is our mother who nourishes us with the Food of Heaven in the Eucharist and gives us a kiss on our bruised arms when we sin, telling us not to worry and keep our eyes on Christ.

False Centers There are centers which, if we place them there, no matter how nice it might sound, are false. A Center must be true for the physical universe, the mental universe, and the spiritual universe. Here are some false centers that are not powerful enough, by and in themselves, to lift you up to the Kingdom of Heaven from your rationality. Do not make any of these your center.

• The Catholic Church or any denomination (organized or unorganized)
• The Blessed Mother (Do what he tells you!)
• The Saints or Martyrs
• The Scriptures (John 20:30-31)
• The Pope and Magisterium of the Church
• Power
• Seven Deadly Sins
• Work
• Adulation
• Money
• Fame
• Fortune and Glory (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
• Sex
• The Golden Calf
• The Democratic, Republican, or any political party
• Idolatry
• Witchcraft
• Black Magic
• The Devil (Satan)
• Me (the big one)
• My Family
• Secular Humanism
• My nationality, race, gender, affiliations in the military, social clubs, or politics
• Food
• Alcohol, Drugs, Orgiastic State (Erich Fromm)
• Good Works (as an end in themselves)
• Lay Cistercians, Religious Orders, The Clergy

God, through Jesus, the Son of God, Savior, tells us there is only one way, truth and the life. As you read in the Scriptures above, you believe it or you don’t.