The God of the Future. Jeff Hood

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      There is no other way to consider the future of God without considering the future of us. The future is wildly provocative. The future is an affront to our present sensibilities. We will either change or be left in the past. God is hope. Hope draws us beyond what is to what’s next. God is to be interpreted through difference and change that is and is not possible. The paradoxes repeat incessantly. God repeats incessantly. God is the same forever. God is changing. The paradox is revealed in the fact that God is. God is what? God is. In the isness of God rests the future. In the midst of our finitude, God reveals to us that God doesn’t know the future . . . God is the future. God is the fullness of hope. Theology is about the exploration of the fullness of hope. God travels with us as we meet enlightenment. God learns too. Knowledge always rests in tomorrow.

      Do the paradoxes make God?

      The last moments in the life of a loved one. The birth of a child. The shots that rang out. Our minds take us on pleasant and unpleasant journeys all the time. Why do we need time travel when we have time travel in our minds? We dodge dinosaurs. We struggle with things left undone. We fight back demons. We travel throughout time all the time. God does too. For, there is nowhere we can travel where God will not be. God lives in our dreams.

      Is God a nightmare?

      I’ve always love dreaming about other planets. What are they like? How far away are they? Are they dangerous? What are they made of? How many moons do they have? The questions never stop. When I was in school, I remember learning about each planet in our solar system. We were told what would happen to the body in each environment. From instantaneously burning to death to choking to death to freezing to death, the options were not very attractive. Though we knew about planets outside of our solar system existed, nobody really knew what they were like. As I grew older, we started to learn that there are inhabitable planets all over the universe. I started to travel to these places. With the speed of the mind, I arrived in no time. These other worlds were amazing. They had all that we would ever need to thrive. What if we could move there? Would God join us? God doesn’t leave anyone behind. Religious ideas centered on earth would be left on earth. I bet God would have some new ideas to share with us. God has already been there and knew we were coming. Let’s not forget, God is the ultimate space traveler. In a universe that doesn’t end, imagine how many planets there must be. There is life, life and more life out there. Surely, we don’t think that we’re the only ones God created in God’s image do we?

      Can aliens know us?

      Doesn’t everybody hate getting dumped? Before I met the love of my life/my wife, I’d fallen in partial love many times before. I can remember a particular heartbreak that came at a difficult hour. Things were just not going well. Then, I got blindsided by a phone call that terminated our relationship. After completing everything for the day, I struggled to get home. Once I did, I went across my living room and dropped down on the couch with a thud. Glad that no one could see me, I started to cry. Within a few seconds, my dog raced over to comfort me. I could tell from the look in her eyes that she knew what was going on. My dog’s presence in those hours brought tremendous comfort. As I talked to her about everything that happened, I knew she could understand me. I wish that she could have spoken to me. Maybe one day she will. In the last couple of decades, scientists have worked hard to help animals develop communication skills. From teaching sign language to exploring other forms of interactions, scientists are learning more and more. What happens when we arrive at the day when scientists help animals talk and express themselves? It’s not as far off as it seems.

      Do animals talk dirty?

      Not long after the invitation was given, she started coming down the aisle. Everyone was surprised. When she got down to the front of the church, the pastor didn’t know what to do. She raised up on her back legs and declared, “What must I do to be baptized?” Everyone froze. Eventually, the pastor got the courage to ask, “Do you want to follow Jesus?” She responded, “I do.” Reaching out his hand, the pastor grabbed her paw and led her up the steps. Looking into her eyes, the pastor managed to ask, “Where did you learn to talk?” “I am the product of recent scientific breakthroughs.” As they walked down into the water, fur floated everywhere. After a profession of faith, the pastor baptized the dog. Our ability to communicate with animals is rapidly expanding. With increased ability to engage in communication, we will be faced with a number of difficult questions. Should animals be baptized? Do animals have souls? Can animals pastor churches? Can animals recognize their own sin? The questions are endless . . . and we are not prepared for the answers.

      Is God a talking ass?

      I don’t trust the present to tell me what tomorrow will bring. The unknown is always coming. God exists in the unknown. The unknown God that is beyond any God we could ever imagine is pulling us from the present to the future. Everything will be wilder. Everything will be stranger. Everything will be changed. Works about the future are works about the unknown. Works about the unknown are attempts to touch God. On some level, writings about the future will always be conjecture. Nevertheless, conjecture allows us to reach into the darkness and cling to what we find. The future is conjecture and so is God.

      Is conjecture holy?

      Everyday, the man opened his eyes and waited. With no ability to speak or move, the man simply waited on his caretaker. Blinking was his only means of communication. Sometimes, it was difficult to blink fast enough to get his point across. From baths to eating to taking a shit, the routine repeated over and over again. The man thought about suicide everyday. The only problem was that he didn’t have the ability to go through with it. Euthanasia was legal and seemed like his best option. Even in the midst of his misery, he clung to hope that there might be something left. One day, the man was watching television and heard about a new experimental medical procedure. Quickly, he communicated to his caretaker that he wanted to get in touch with the doctor. After extensive communication, the doctor decided to fly out to see him. Warning the man that there were a variety of risks, the doctor shared with him that a successful head transplant would make him well. Knowing that he was dying regardless, the man didn’t hesitate. After traveling to a remote location, the doctor started the preliminary procedures. Six weeks after the preparations began, a match died in a car accident. After confirming that the man was comfortable with receiving a woman’s body, the doctor administered anesthesia and started the surgery. Dozens and dozens of fellow doctors filled the room. Specialist after specialist worked on their particular areas. Countless hours of surgery culminated in the fusion of the spine. The man was ready for recovery. Doctors were relentless to make sure that the procedure was successful. Many weeks later, the man awoke from his coma. Surprisingly, he felt great and couldn’t tell a difference. The only thing that had changed were his much larger breasts and he now had a vagina. Eventually, he gained an ability to live life without any of his prior afflictions. The first head transplant was a complete success. However, multitudes of questions remained.

      Does God need a head transplant?