I was recently approached and asked about my faith. The person inquiring was pondering how I
might really believe that there is this big plan out there, created by some G-d that violently and forcefully directs it all. They wondered how I could live believing in a G-d that dictates my every move and is just looking for me to fail the plan, so I can be punished. I had a simple answer for him: I don't.
That's not the G-d that I find in my sacred text. That's certainly not the G-d that I have found in my life experiences. That is, however, the G-d that many a pastor or many an evangelical have propositioned to me, but it is not the G-d that I have faith in. Let me explain and let me doing it using some Army doctrine and language that is helpful for all, not just Soldiers.
In the Army, there have been a few different styles of command authority. Each of these styles has a varying level of autonomy. Autonomy can be summed up as the ability to self-govern or the freedom from external control. Autonomy is the ability to not only have free will, but to exercise it in a way that is not just self-serving, but meets a common goal. It's really what we should be raising our children to: to a place where they can function independently in the world and yet live within the community as a contributing member of that community. They can make their own decisions after going through a decision-making process of some sort and they can execute the decisions, as well as bear the good and bad consequences of their decisions they have made.
The style of command with the lowest level of autonomy is Command by Directive. This style of command is slow and top-down leadership. All decisions are made by upper leaders and those below take step-by-step instructions. This is strenuous not only on those being directed, but also on the commander. This is the classic high control command environment. You're told when to eat, when to sleep, how to move, how to dress, what is right and what is wrong. For season, in learning new rhythms and skills (like in basic training), this type of leadership has some necessity, but it is never the goal to stay in this realm of command.
The next style of command has a little more freedom. Command by Plan is more supervisory. The commander gives steps and contingencies. The person being commanded has some decision making abilities within the given plan. There is a little more room for wiggle, but overall the plan is the plan. Again, this style of command has its place in leadership. However, it does not offer full autonomy and still leaves a pretty heavy burden on the commander to make plans and details. It also allows for them to be upset when it doesn't happen as planned.
These two styles of command line up pretty closely with the view of G-d that was presented by the gentleman questioning me about G-d. However, human beings were created with free will. Part of what makes us unique is that we have the ability to make choices. The G-d that created humans does not commanded by directive or by a plan. G-d created with free will and with free will comes autonomy. So let's look at the last command style: Command by Intent.
Command by Intent is guided by goals, resources, and constraints given by the commander and it is the standard. Decisions are made at the point of action, by the person doing the action.
The Commander clearly defines their definition of success, detailing what constitutes success for the operation at hand. The Commander gives the operation's purpose and the conditions that define the end state. So those under her, will know what success will look like when the job is complete. They have freedom to make decisions that accomplish the Commander's Intent in the ways that they see fit.
That's the G-d that I know and love. There's a season that, I think, we all need to be commanded by directive and/or plan, but that's not G-d's end state. G-d's command is by intent. We shouldn't read Jeremiah 29:11 as a hard-fast "G-d's got a detailed plan for my life." "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This is Command by Intent. G-d intends these things, but G-d didn't predetermine your every move. Even Adam and Eve were placed in the garden with Commander's Intent. They were told the Commander's goals. They were given the resources and they were given one constraint. They unfortunately, like us too many times, missed the Commander's Intent for success and blew through that constraint.
One of the most beneficial ways I have found to view my holy text is to see it as my Commander's Intent. The Bible is like an operations order that details the Commander's Intent giving full autonomy to all human beings to seek and find mission success within this life.
At the time of Jesus, the teachers of the Law were commanding by directive and by plan. They were putting forward an image of G-d that very much matched the question that sparked this post. There was no autonomy. There was no mission command, just control and tight supervision. Their frustration with Jesus was that he was functioning in a completely new way than what they had been taught. He was presenting G-d as a G-d who commands by intent. This was seen most clearly when these teachers came to Jesus and asked "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus response is the most succinct Commander's Intent there will ever be: "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our G-d, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
The beautiful thing about this imagery is that in the Army if you know the Commander' intent and you follow it and live for it, you can "get away" with a lot of stuff because it is in line with the Commander's Intent. So how freeing it is to know the Commander of my faith's intent is simple - love G-d with all that I am and to love people (and myself) with that same passion. G-d isn't a G-d who's dictating my life, but instead has a beautiful intent for it. I just get to lean into it, enjoy the ride and live with no regrets.
