What I am Not
Greetings,
I have always found etymology to be fascinating. Etymology, in the simplest terms, is the study of the history of words. How a word is being used and how it was used, the origins of words, who created the word, etc. It is crazy to think that their are words today that are used within our everyday vernacular that a few hundred years ago never existed or were used in a completely different manner. Human beings throughout time, since the beginning of time, have been creating words. Creating gave these people a voice. Shakespeare was notorious for creating words throughout his works. Reading along, and then all of the sudden is a word you have never seen and will never see again outside of Shakespeare. Most words, however have a history, they have evolved, change, adapted to the times.
Words, like people, are ever changing. I can look back on the person I was in high school and safely say that I am not that same person. I have grown into a woman that has a voice of her own. A woman who has direction and a goal, and is determined and focused. I have grown and adapted to life's changes. I am not that same person. I have shed the clothes of insecurities that clothed me throughout high school. No longer the little girl with endless possibilities, a woman grew out of the ashes of insecurities with certainties of who she is. I was able to see the person I wanted to be.
Personhood, that is the word in my head right now. Dr. Larry Wood expressed something during a lecture that stuck with me. Simply stated: "God is not a person." God has no personhood. This simple statement is really profound and thought provoking. Personhood can be broken down into its simple word form of person. Etymology would then parse this out in original language: in Latin persōna role (in life, a play, or a tale) and in Greek prósōpa (face, mask). Dr. Wood defined personhood as: facing towards confronting. The origins of this word had no human reference and notion at all. However it is very common, in today's verbiage, to associate God with a person and a personhood.
God is not a person; God is triune. (still wrapping my understanding around this notion)
There is a way of describing someone or something by what they are not. This is a use of negation. Negation being: the absence or opposite of something actual or positive. That is what is happening by saying God is not a person. Describing God can use a great deal of negation:
God is not a person...
God is not hateful...
God is not spiteful...
God is not controlling...
God is not human...
God is not created...
By the rules of the attribution of negation, the opposite of something actual and positive, how do you then understand and attribute God after you have acknowledged what God is not?
This attribution of negation is not only used in theology realms to attribute God, but is used everyday by everyone on a regular basis. Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought to yourself I am not pretty enough, have you ever noted you friends and their successes and thought I am not good enough or successful enough, have you ever failed a test or assignment and thought I am not smart enough. You can see this notion popping up frequently throughout everyday life. We note these things as negative things about ourselves and even (if we want to be honest with ourselves) about others. BUT, and this is a BIG but, knowing now what the attribution of negation is, as the opposite of something actual and positive, get out of the idea and thought that you are not pretty, successful, smart or worth enough.
You're not pretty; you are beautiful, stunning, fetching
You're not successful; you are victorious, affluent, prosperous
You're not smart; you are clever, astute, intelligent
It is time to go back to elementary school when teachers would make you look up new words, in the Thesaurus, to replace the overly used and boring words with new words, vivacious words, words that bring life to thoughts and ideas. I catch myself labeling myself by what I am not. Take those "nots" and give them new life!
Blessings & Joy
I have always found etymology to be fascinating. Etymology, in the simplest terms, is the study of the history of words. How a word is being used and how it was used, the origins of words, who created the word, etc. It is crazy to think that their are words today that are used within our everyday vernacular that a few hundred years ago never existed or were used in a completely different manner. Human beings throughout time, since the beginning of time, have been creating words. Creating gave these people a voice. Shakespeare was notorious for creating words throughout his works. Reading along, and then all of the sudden is a word you have never seen and will never see again outside of Shakespeare. Most words, however have a history, they have evolved, change, adapted to the times.
Words, like people, are ever changing. I can look back on the person I was in high school and safely say that I am not that same person. I have grown into a woman that has a voice of her own. A woman who has direction and a goal, and is determined and focused. I have grown and adapted to life's changes. I am not that same person. I have shed the clothes of insecurities that clothed me throughout high school. No longer the little girl with endless possibilities, a woman grew out of the ashes of insecurities with certainties of who she is. I was able to see the person I wanted to be.
Personhood, that is the word in my head right now. Dr. Larry Wood expressed something during a lecture that stuck with me. Simply stated: "God is not a person." God has no personhood. This simple statement is really profound and thought provoking. Personhood can be broken down into its simple word form of person. Etymology would then parse this out in original language: in Latin persōna role (in life, a play, or a tale) and in Greek prósōpa (face, mask). Dr. Wood defined personhood as: facing towards confronting. The origins of this word had no human reference and notion at all. However it is very common, in today's verbiage, to associate God with a person and a personhood.
God is not a person; God is triune. (still wrapping my understanding around this notion)
There is a way of describing someone or something by what they are not. This is a use of negation. Negation being: the absence or opposite of something actual or positive. That is what is happening by saying God is not a person. Describing God can use a great deal of negation:
God is not a person...
God is not hateful...
God is not spiteful...
God is not controlling...
God is not human...
God is not created...
By the rules of the attribution of negation, the opposite of something actual and positive, how do you then understand and attribute God after you have acknowledged what God is not?
This attribution of negation is not only used in theology realms to attribute God, but is used everyday by everyone on a regular basis. Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought to yourself I am not pretty enough, have you ever noted you friends and their successes and thought I am not good enough or successful enough, have you ever failed a test or assignment and thought I am not smart enough. You can see this notion popping up frequently throughout everyday life. We note these things as negative things about ourselves and even (if we want to be honest with ourselves) about others. BUT, and this is a BIG but, knowing now what the attribution of negation is, as the opposite of something actual and positive, get out of the idea and thought that you are not pretty, successful, smart or worth enough.
You're not pretty; you are beautiful, stunning, fetching
You're not successful; you are victorious, affluent, prosperous
You're not smart; you are clever, astute, intelligent
It is time to go back to elementary school when teachers would make you look up new words, in the Thesaurus, to replace the overly used and boring words with new words, vivacious words, words that bring life to thoughts and ideas. I catch myself labeling myself by what I am not. Take those "nots" and give them new life!
Blessings & Joy
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