Imaginary readers, imaginary God

July 27, 2022

“I’m not imaginary,” I imagined a reader saying.

“Nor am I,” I imagined God saying.

But they were. The reader who I had imagined saying, “I’m not imaginary,” was imaginary, of course. So was that particular God.

“Doesn’t the Bible say we were created in the image of God?” asked another imaginary reader.

“Yes,” answered an imaginary reader who imagined that the Bible had said that. It hadn’t.

“If the Bible says that, doesn’t it make us all imaginary?” asked an imaginary reader who had not read the previous paragraph because I had not written it yet.

“Here’s a link to a discussion of Genesis 1,” I imagined the author of Abarim Publications, my go-to source for Biblical exegesis, spoke into existence.

“We can’t be bothered following links,” said many imaginary readers and a few imaginary listeners to the imaginary audio version. “Can you drop in the relevant text?”

“Sure,” I said and quoted this from the Abarim Publications’ discussion of Genesis in the link:

Then Elohim said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…And Elohim created man in His own image, in the image of Elohim He created him; male and female he created them.

“In Her own image,” said an imaginary God, “My pronouns are She and Her.”

“In Their own image,” corrected Elohim. “My name, Elohim, is a plural noun. Read this about the meaning of Elohim.”

“Text, please,” said an imaginary listener. “I’m listening to the imaginary audio version of this post and can’t look things up.”

“Here it is,” I imagined saying.

There are three stages upon which the creation unfolds. The first stage stretches from Genesis 1:1 to 2:4. During this period God is known as Elohim. From Genesis 2:4 he is known as YHWH Elohim. The third stage starts around the Noah cycle and flows over into the Abraham cycle and beyond across the rest of the Bible. Abraham, after all, was the first to believe and became not only a new creation but also the first of a new continuum of new creations. During this stage God is known as Dabar YHWH, or Word Of God.

“I never learned that in Sunday school,” said an imaginary reader, who had stopped reading and followed links for about an hour. “This is fascinating stuff.”

“I never learned that in Sunday school,” said another reader. “It can’t be true.”

“I love you both,” I said. “I love you all.”

And I do.

I have the best imaginary readers. I have the best imaginary life.

Yes, I know, some of you believe you are real. And some believe I am real.

But look carefully.

Where are you?

I don’t mean “where is your body.” I mean: where is the “you” that you believe you are?

Stop reading or listening and look.

Most just kept reading or listening. But a few looked.

“Holy shit!” say many, but not all, those who looked. They had looked, had found nothing, and at that moment, had found Enlightenment.

“Where?” say some others. “What? What are you talking about?”

But the post had ended.

And then there was a horizontal dividing line. And then there was a call to action. And the call to action said:

“Maybe you’ll find Enlightenment in the next post. Or you can take another look, find nothing, and realize that’s it!

“Reading this blog can remind you to keep looking. Or keep you distracted. Whatever. I love you anyway.”

Or you can share.

(Technically, you can do both)