"God became man so that man might be engodded"
~ St. Athanasius
The Oxford Movement of the nineteenth century did a lot for the Church of England. In it, the reformers were harkening back to the age of the patristic Greek Fathers, that age of the Church when there was nothing "popish" within the institution. One idea, however, that never seemed to gain much ground in Anglicanism despite the claims of the movement, was that of divinization or properly called theosis. Known quite well in the Eastern Church, the concept of humanity's process towards becoming divine is deeply rooted in the Incarnation--some may easy say that this is the completion of that moment when the Divine and Humanity intersected in the womb of the Virgin.
What does this have to do with love? Moreover, what does this have to do with seeing the face of God as a lover? God creates out of love; humanity being formed in God's likeness and image is a powerful measure of God's love. Eros, not agape, is the burning desire of God and humanity. Eros is the Greek principle of a deep, erotic love which surpasses the mere physical limitations of human flesh. Descending into the womb while exulting our human nature is the fullness of that love. Episcopal priest Phillips Brooks, the legendary composer of the Christmas hymn "O Little Town of Bethlehem," is noted as saying that in this act of Incarnation we find, "the condescension of divinity and the exultation of humanity." Ascent meets the descent and in that we know more about our God as the ultimate lover. Interestingly enough, this may be the most erotic imagery in the whole of the Christian tradition.
So now let us move forward one more step. God as lover woos us. God woos us in the very wilderness we often find ourselves. God creates, God provides, and God woos. Even when Adam and Eve were kicked out of Paradise, God makes and provides clothing for them (Gen 3:23). God is the constant lover of creation, bringing and calling it into the fullness of that lover. We are no exception to this but often stand in the way of feeling God's tenderness or being tantalized by God's scent. Thus, to accept theosis, one has to be willing to see inside the love that was born from above and to accept God's invitation to step onto the dance floor to take a spin with the Almighty. I doubt that the principle here is to create millions of little gods and goddesses running around the Kingdom, but rather bring humanity to its fullness, to its completion which can only be found in God. God took the first step in creation; the invitation has been issued and a reply is requested.
As is the case with any lover, there are the warts that we try to cover over and hide. We don't want to be naked in front of the one that we try to seduce or vice versa. The seduction of God is to be perfect bliss and causes the ultimate "release." This release is complete and total freedom of the Kingdom of God which dawned in the coming of Christ, but alas is not yet fulfilled. As we move closer with God in the dance of our lives, we take down those barriers and uncover the painful areas of lives. Trust is the result of knowing that there is another hand out there supporting and guiding your spins. The music is endless and so is the dance. But there is always that fear of tripping over your feet or looking rather foolish with stiff legs.
Will you fight? Will you always accept God's advances? Can you resist the heavenly aroma? We will certainly try! We are human after all. Theosis gives me hope that I'm always in process, always moving to a beat that my soul rhythmically gets even when I try and stand in the way.
Personally, I can identify this image in my life. The times when I have left the dance floor because of anger or simply lacking the courage to accept my own acceptance. Each time I come back, I find that God is ready to pick up the beat again. Ironically, there never seems to be the cursory, "I told you so."
