David Hocking’s book The Nature of God in Plain Language Essay

It has to be said that the concept of trust has taken quite a hammering in society in the past twenty years.   During this time we have seen a host of previously considered â€Å"credible† people such as politicians, priests, childcare workers, teachers, babysitters and more exposed in the media as liars, cheats and criminals so is it any wonder that we might have trouble believing in an entity that has never actually been seen by anyone – someone like God for example.   David Hocking examines this issue of trust in relation to faith in his book The Nature of God in Plain Language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the key factors illustrated in Hocking’s book is the fact that the Bible clearly states that God made man â€Å"in his own image†, so therefore God should be viewed as we might view other people around us, or perhaps more specifically in the way we view ourselves.  Ã‚   Hocking makes it clear that God is not some form of â€Å"force† but that instead he can be viewed to be a person like us, and therefore if we want to learn more about God then we can learn about him through looking at ourselves.   Hocking writes, â€Å"He possesses life, self-consciousness, freedom, purpose, intelligence and emotion† (65). One of the problems that stems from this viewpoint is that many people walk around with a very low opinion of themselves so it might be difficult to understand that while God is not ‘better’ than us, and therefore be considered as some paragon of perfection, he is an image of the very â€Å"best† that we could be to ourselves, for ourselves and to others. Hocking reinforces the fact about being a â€Å"friend of God† and points to the example of Abraham in the Old Testament who is cited as being a person who did look upon God, and did consider God to be his friend. We are not capable of being friends with a force, or source of higher power, which is why it is important for non-believers to understand that God does have elements of humanity, which we as humans share.   But the distance that is often perceived between God and man does help perpetuate the elements of mistrust about God as a creator of life, God as a loving father and God as the keeper of all men, especially if our own experience with trusting other human individuals has left us so cynical or jaded about the good in mankind Hocking believes that our growing cynicism is why trust is such an important concept when discussing a relationship with God. We should be able to trust our friends, our partners, and our family and this same trust needs to be found in God if he is to provide a positive influence in our own lives. Hocking illustrates the common problem we have as trusting individual’s when he explains about a woman that had been abused and let down continually by the significant people in her life including her parents that placed her in an institution, to friends and significant others she met throughout her life.   If she had been let down by so many people in her life it would be virtually impossible for her to consider that an unseen and unknown friend like God could care for a person he had never physically met, at least in her eyes, and is apparently unknown to her. Hocking believes this lack of trust can be overcome through three main factors that should be indicators of a whether or not a person might be trustworthy.   These three elements, telling the truth, doing what is right and fair, and being reliable, should provide the standards we measure the trustworthy nature of our friends and family, and Hocking explains how these same three factors can influence the level of trust we might have in God. The Bible illustrates countless examples of where God has proven himself in terms of these three measures of trustworthiness.   Hocking describes God as being â€Å"morally pure† and therefore it would be impossible for God to lie, to be unfair or be someone that could not be depended on.   Hocking refers to the Old Testament that showed how the people of Israel came to trust in God as they walked through the desert, and the New Testament that supported the fact that God could be counted on as a faithful being and one who is always with us.   If these ideas can be understood by an individual then with the passage of time it would be possible for all of us to trust in the one being that will never let us down. Hocking’s viewpoint on God being an accessible, trustworthy and righteous being, who can have influence on an individual in modern life is not a new concept, but understanding the importance of understanding ourselves so that we may understand God more clearly is not a common idea.   Many religious based Churches strive to create a distance between God and man and use concepts such as man’s inclination to sin on earth and generally be considered unworthy in God’s eyes as a way to maintain that distance. The fact that this distance between God and ourselves only serves the purpose of the Church as a governing body, rather than the individual is often overlooked by many theologians, but Hocking, despite his own religious affiliations, seeks to strip away the negative perceptions that the Church has upheld about man and God throughout the ages and instead paves the way for a life that can be had by any individual who could understand that God can be a friend in every sense of the word. The one stumbling block to this level of understanding is the level of mistrust that is perpetuated in modern society between individuals and groups.   The central premise of Hocking’s book is that to know God we have to know ourselves; to understand God we have to understand ourselves as individuals and to trust in God, we need to trust in others and ourselves.   Stripped of religious hype and forewarnings of doom and gloom that is often manifested by Church groups worldwide, Hocking’s book shows us that it is possible to have a relationship with our Lord, and that this relationship can be based on trust, regardless of the actions of others in our lives. Works Cited Hocking, David.   The Nature of God in Plain Language, Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1984