Ray Bradbury: God's omnipresent wings

(Photo by Alan D. Wilson) 

Whether God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent is debatable.  But according to Ray Bradbury, He (She? It?) is simply everywhere.

In a 2010 CNN article titled Sci-fi legend Ray Bradbury on God, ‘monsters and angels’ (the “monsters and angels” being within his fertile imagination), Bradbury described

himself as a “delicatessen religionist” who is inspired by both Eastern and Western traditions.  He was raised as a Midwestern Baptist by infrequently-churchgoing parents.  At age 14, Bradbury “began visiting Catholic churches, synagogues and charismatic churches on his own to figure out his faith.”  Although he’s been called

“Unitarian,” Bradbury preferred the term “Zen Buddhist” (that is, if such labels need to be used at all).

Bradbury’s take on Zen Buddhism was one of experiential spontaneity.  He explained:  “I don’t think about what I do.  I do it.  I jump off the cliff and build my wings on the way down.”  This philosophical spontaneity meshed well with Bradbury’s personality - which was called “magical” by CNN’s John Blake, who said that

talking with Bradbury felt like hitching “a ride on a red balloon floating to the stars.”

And why not float to the stars?  After all, God is everywhere.  After telling Time’s Rachel Goldstein that he would make a great preacher, Bradbury was then asked, “Of which religion?”  He replied: My religion encompasses all religions.  I believe in God, I believe in the universe.  I believe you are god, I believe I am god; I believe the earth is god and the universe is god. We’re all god.

And that about sums (He, She) “It” up…

Resources

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/02/Bradbury/index.html?iref=allsearch&hpt=hp_c1

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/06/my-last-conversation-with-ray-bradbury/

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2012734,00.html#ixzz1x2SZi2BW

Copyright June 7, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved