Today we have a guest post from Simon C.:
One of the (many) things that keeps my friend awake at night in despair is thinking about the surface of Venus. We have watched many shows over the years about the solar system and the universe which have made us both awe-inspired and deeply unsettled in equal measure. But for him, nothing beats the surface of Venus for its sheer hellishness—the heat, the pressure, the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and clouds of sulphuric acid raining down, the intense volcanic activity. Just the very thought of that existing somewhere out there is horrific. It’s a nightmare to him.
I was reminded of this hellscape recently when I read Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler’s excellent The Bible With and Without Jesus. We are all familiar with the chaos that God found before the ordering of creation. Perhaps we are too familiar with it, being the second verse of Genesis, that we easily skip over without pausing for thought. Here are some renderings:
And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (KJV)
The earth then was welter and waste and darkness over the deep and God’s breath hovering over the waters (The Hebrew Bible, Robert Alter)
The earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water (Tanakh translation, Jewish Publication Society)
Void, waste, darkness, deep, wind—this is not a pleasant scene. What struck me was their discussion of the possible translations of the Hebrew ru’ach: most commonly translated as spirit, equally possible are breath and wind, as we saw above. In Hebrew, they point out, using the phrase ‘…of God’ can also be a type of superlative to mean ‘mighty’ or even ‘God-awful’; and so originally Genesis was probably describing a “great wind” or “awesome wind”. Putting this with the Hebrew participle merachefet, which is elsewhere translated as the fluttering of a bird or the quaking of bones, they write:
‘If we imagine the initial chaos as crashing waves and gale-force winds, then “quake” is appropriate; if we think about unresolved chords, as in the beginning of Haydn’s “The Creation,” or ocean waves lapping upon the shore, “swept over” fits better.’
(The Bible With and Without Jesus, p.79)
For some reason I was struck by this description, and deeply disturbed as I contemplated the chaos. I thought of my friend and his terror of Venus.
Not to worry, though, you may think, because God brought order to this chaos, which culminated in the paradise of Eden. The God of the Hebrew Bible is depicted in various parts as a warrior who did battle with the primeval waters of chaos (including such characters as the monster Leviathan) to subdue them underfoot. The God of the Hebrew Bible is a God of cosmic physical proportions who sits enthroned, victorious, in the heavens with his foot firmly planted on the earth as his footstool. As Francesca Stavrakopoulou puts it ‘the only proper place for chaos was beneath the feet of the deity enthroned in his temple in Jerusalem.’[1] He is in a very real sense keeping a lid on it. But in the Hebrew Bible, the chaos is never far away. What God organises in Genesis 1 when he uses a ‘firmament’ or ‘vault’ to separate and control the waters above from the waters beneath, he undoes in Genesis 7 when water is unleashed from the sky and from under the earth. It is an un-creation. Likewise in the New Testament, where Revelation shows the unravelling of cosmic order when the seventh seal is opened: the dragon appears, producing a flood to sweep away the woman ‘clothed with the sun’, followed by the beast from the sea (Leviathan) and the beast from the land (Behemoth). And that’s just a small slice of the chaos. The seal is broken and all hell breaks loose.
I write this having come out of a few days of existential dread, when I seem to carry around with me the whole weight of my existence—my past regrets and disappointments, my present regrets and disappointments, and the 40 odd years of (possible and perceived) future regrets and disappointments which I still have to look forward to! It is perhaps a clumsy way of describing it, but it is the best that I can do. Over the years, I have become better equipped to deal with these moments when they come by trying to keep things in context, to reflect, to try and roll with it. Hanging on in quiet desperation is, after all, the English way. Many of us may be living lives where order and chaos are constantly doing battle, whether that is a mental or physical struggle, or aspects that may be social or material, such as our relationships with others or precarious finances and work situations. The Bible shows that there can be order—indeed God brought order—but that chaos is forever lurking, bubbling away under the surface, hiding around the corner. It often doesn’t take much for it to all unravel. One of my favourite passages of the New Testament is ‘the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not’ (John 1.5). Why do I like it? For one, the imagery is simply beautiful. But beyond that, although I do believe that light can overcome darkness, order overcome chaos, in this passage at least—just for a moment—the light and the dark seem to coexist. And that rings true for so much of life.
Can darkness and chaos be conquered completely?
Should it?
Is there value and meaning in the coexistence with order and light, in the struggle between the two?
Does the light always have the upper hand because the darkness is baffled by its existence?
Is chaos forever lurking in your life? How do you deal with it?
One final thought. Those of you who are Nick Cave fans may be familiar with the Red Hand Files, a website in which Nick responds, thoughtfully, to questions that are sent to him. He is sent thousands and although he can only respond to a fraction, he has stated that he does read them all. Here is one answer that he reads out in the 2022 film This Much I Know To Be True:[2]
“Dear Billy,
The majority of letters that come into the Red Hand Files in all their various forms are essentially asking the same question: your question – ‘How do I handle seemingly having no control over my life?’ This question is often accompanied by feelings of betrayal and rage and resentfulness, of hopelessness. The truth is, we all live our lives dangerously, in a state of jeopardy, at the edge of calamity. You have discovered that the veil that separates your ordered life from disarray is wafer thin. This is the ordinary truth of existence, from which none of us are exempt. In time we all find out, we are not in control. We never were. We never will be. But, we are not without power. We always have the freedom to choose how to respond to whatever it is that life offers us. You can collapse and be dragged under. You can harden around your misfortune and become embittered. Or, you can move toward the opportunity that is offered to you, that of change and renewal. The next best action is always presented to you Billy, look for it, and move toward it. This is the great act of insubordination to the vagaries of life, afforded to us all.”
Discuss.
Notes:
[1] God: An Anatomy, p.45. Stavrakopoulou provides an illuminating discussion of all these concepts in chapters 2 and 3, with all the pertinent Bible references.
[2] This isn’t my transcription but one someone had done and posted on Reddit. So if there are mistakes, blame them!
Wheat & Tares 
Simon C is absolutely correct. The world can truly be a dark and fearful place.
It sometimes seems as if we all fight, just to end up caught in a dream where everything goes wrong. Indeed, it can seem as if we live in a place where the dark of night holds back the light of the day.
But have hope Simon. Darkness is only allowed to exist to give contrast to the light. Darkness cannot create, it can only twist something that already exists. And we need not let ourselves be twisted. We can conquer.
What a fascinating post. It brings up a lot of thoughts, mostly tangential, but here they are as sort of responses to a few of your quesitons:
1. I don’t know if light ever conquers darkness. I think this is where Mormonism fails by buying into this false binary. I can see light and dark being equivalent, somehow, to good and bad in a moral sense, but most of life is some combination of light and dark and I think that’s how it should be; it makes life interesting. So I don’t know how, if mortal life is supposed to prepare us for some sort of glorious afterlife, that we are expected to make a transition from a world full of both dark and light to some sort of idealized heaven where no darkness exists. Seems like a difficult to manage transition. I get that while we’re here, we’re supposed to “overcome” darkness, but I just don’t think that’s possible.
2. My first thought brings up a second one, which is: Mormonism presents both the afterlife and the larger cosmic story as a guarantee. Satan will eventually lose (and after that point, won’t be around any more to tempt us), God will win (because he’s right and right always triumphs?) and we’ll all get resurrected and at least go somewhere nice, even if it’s not the CK (unless we’re Sons of Perdition or somesuch). So really, there’s no risk involved and no stakes at all, except for whether you want to be in the CK (where I’m assuming the best internet connections are) or the TK (where you’d have to rely on dialup). I’m being somewhat facetious, but somewhat serious. There’s no risk in Mormon theology except for the whole Sons of Perdition thing, so I think it’s disingenuous for Mormonism to talk about the necessity of “overcoming” or choosing the “right” side of the dark/light binary when in the end, at least according to the Mormon narrative, light will “win”. I mean, wouldn’t it be more motivating to believers if we were taught that Satan and darkness could win? Wouldn’t we be more likely to engage in the struggle between light and dark if we knew there was a distinct possibility that the darkness could actually win? Can the Mormon God fall or fail? That would make things a lot more interesting. I just feel like Mormon theology lacks both the complexity and the courage to present things this way.
3. And finally, I actually think the whole light/dark binary is harmful to flawed mortals (all of us) who are trying to navigate a complex and nuanced world. There are a few moral absolutes, I suppose, like murder in cold blood, is always wrong, etc., but the oppressive nature of a light/dark binary, which is meant to make navigating the world easier, I suppose, actually makes it harder. Look, for example, at how much binary moral thinking has negatively impacted how the church views LGBTQ folks. Or women. Or single people. Or people of color. The whole notion of a hard and fast set of principles gets to look pretty ludicrous and insidious pretty quickly. I think the English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins did a better job by reminding us that God created “dappled” things, created both light and darkness. That makes things more complicated from a moral standpoint, I suppose, but not prioritizing one over the other probably makes for a more nuanced and accurate moral compass. And encourages us to be more careful and thoughtful about things we might perceive as darkness or evil that may not really be. My .02.
Thoughtful OP. Can’t help but but ponder the role Mormonism plays in managing chaos and darkness. Members are taught (brainwashed?) that blessings are predicated on obedience. So only after giving of our time, talents, and, most importantly $, can we expect life affirming guidance. Very transactional. How convenient.
This is very thought-provoking. The meaning of chaos and if it serves any purpose. Hmmm.
My personal belief is that chaos and darkness are part of existence and I honestly don’t know if we ever ban them entirely, even in the next life. Joseph Smith’s take on heaven was that the same sociality that exists among us here will exist among us there, but coupled with eternal glory. Society has always had to deal with those who thrive on suffering and want to create chaos. We want those who bring order and healing to triumph, but if chaos and darkness eventually go away, what about opposition in all things? I don’t have an answer.
Is chaos forever lurking in your life? How do you deal with it?
Yes, I’ve typically got chaos within arm’s reach. 🙂 It comes with the mental health diagnosis. The feeling of chaos and darkness always passes. I used to keep a regular journal, and my mood swings don’t last. My situation doesn’t change much, but my mood certainly does. It helps me to remember that what I’m struggling with is perception. Narrowing down to focus on just what’s in my reach usually helps me restore perspective and leave behind the chaotic feelings of uselessness and hopelessness.
Brother Sky,
I’ve always assumed that “overcoming” darkness includes a recognition of one’s own real or potential darkness. Spiritually mature people I admire seem to have a “I won’t entertain action A because that would result in a greater risk in action B” thinking. Or as Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry best said it, “A man’s got to know his limitations.”
De Novo,
I would describe what you seem to be observing as an example of Calvinist thinking that often pops up inside LDS Culture. The ironic thing is that many elements of Calvinism are quite at odds with the thinking of Joseph Smith and many 19th century LDS thinkers. But when we get rattled, our individualistic, capitalistic, conservative and materialistic views are more easily justified by good ol’ market-friendly Calvinism. Culturally, we even somewhat resemble the early English Calvinists (Puritans) in other ways. I suppose the most recent incarnation is the Prosperity Gospel. “Let’s make a deal” seems much more relatable than Jesus’ Atonement. The covenant of Grace gets revamped in our minds into a modern business contract.
Mormonism provides an enormous amount of certainty to the believer in the form of a checklist-like pathway and post existence easily drawn with circles and straight lines. Chaos for the Latter Day Saint is ordered by certainty. That is until it just doesn’t anymore and we’re left with even more of it.
Darkness is forever lucking in our existence but instead of embracing the lack of control and accepting it as proof of our shared humanity, we can always use it to shame our way into more orthodox and obedience and proudly demonstrate our close proximity to the second coming.
I’m a post-Mormon agnostic atheist.
That said I found myself eventually drawn to and fascinated by current debates within Norse Heathenry/?Ásatrú regarding the worship of the Jötnar- the primordial Giants of Norse mythology.
You see, most Norse Heathenry/?Ásatrú Is inherently acts of reconstruction from old texts that have been largely translated and re-interpreted since through a Christian lens. The Æsir are the primarily-worshiped gods of order, society, oaths, & law. The Vanir meanwhile tended to be fertility and nature-related gods that often allied with the Æsir despite their disagreements.
But as far as the reconstructivists know- there is no recorded evidence of anyone worshipping the Jötnar- despite these primordial chaotic beings being the main wellspring of all creation (and sometimes being affable chaps) whose existence and resistance to order is necessary for creation and the eventual Ragnarök and renewal of the earth.
It’s a currently hot debate within Heathenry on whether worship of the Jötnar is legitimate or not- with many of the traditionalists arguing against the idea, despite the inherent pitfalls in reconstructing a (for all intents and purposes) dead religion from the sparse collective evidence so far.
So why the Jötnar? I think people are slowly realizing that ‘order’ and society has largely overrun nature- to great and terrible effect. Global warming, pollution, deforestation, all signal a terrible lack of stewardship on humanity’s part and I think people are despairing of that sense of imbalance.
There’s something beautiful and terrible about a natural disaster that reminds us again of how insignificant we are. In such events we are returned again to a state of wonder, awe, fear, and humility. We look for patterns, anthropomorphize these patterns in the form of divine agencies. Chaos is the wellspring of our search for order; meaning; purpose in life.
It’s the slow realization that we do not have control- and our responding search for such.
So many typos- sorry
Rökkatru- that’s the name for Jotnar worship
One last apology, “The Troth” might be a more mainstream, but still accessible version of Norse Heathenry that has become more accepting of Jotnar worship in addition to the other ‘beings’.
It has recently come to my attention that the founder of Rökkatru may or may not have done some problematic things and I wish to be responsible in how I talk and discuss such things.
Regardless, the duality spoken here re: chaos, darkness, and opposition reminded me of the gatekeeping & controversies surrounding Jottunn worship; that we have a tendency to (re)produce binary good vs evil thinking in response to chaos, opposition, and liminal constructs/agents.
My daughter has just come back from fighting the forest fires in northern Canada. She showed us maps of where they were to fight the fire which show areas where highly flamable sulphur gas is seeping out of the ground, and there are symbols on the map for how toxic the gas is, such as instant death, 5 minute, 20 minute to death. You can not always smell the gas so they wear detectors that beep when it is present. So imagine you are fighting a forest fire, the ground you are on is tundra, which is peat (compacted vegitation) which can be burning, and you may also have gas in the air that could burst into flame, and if you breathe it could kill you, and your job is to put out the forest fire. 10 days on 2 days off. So going into that environment day after day. The Australians that are there are volunteers (Unpaid)
I have been watching a lot of test match cricket recently. Test match cricket goes for 5 days, and usually the game is not decided until the last hour or 2. Until then each side believe they can/will win.
I considered writing a post comparing cricket to baseball, (and asking whether the church is teaching the equivalent of baseball when they could be teaching us cricket) but do not know enough about baseball. There are so many more dimensions to cricket.
There is a world cup of test cricket the final was played between Australia and India in England (because the pitch can be prepared to suit your team, so neutral pitch). Australia plays England each year in a series called the ashes. We are watching the second day of the second test match, having watched the women last week.
Both the Australian women and men won their first game.
Commentators have just been talking obout resiliance, and staying positive.
Oh Nick Cave, searching for light in the darkness, acknowledging the pain and the glory.