GOD: An Autobiography, As Told to a Philosopher - The Podcast

138. Special Episode | Revisiting God Asks Me To Tell His Story

Jerry L. Martin, Scott Langdon

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Delve into the spiritual realm in this enlightening episode of "God: An Autobiography, The Podcast." Join Jerry L. Martin as he recounts a profound encounter with the divine, where he is chosen to be the messenger of God's story.

Discover the significance of understanding the inner life of God and the relevance it holds for our spiritual journeys. This dramatic adaptation of Jerry L. Martin's book, "God: An Autobiography, As Told To A Philosopher," explores the evolution of God's message and the need for renewal in a changing world.

Immerse yourself in this thought-provoking episode that challenges traditional religious perspectives and encourages listeners to embrace new insights. Step into the divine perspective and embark on a spiritual exploration like no other.

Keywords: spiritual realm, divine encounter, messenger, God's story, inner life of God, spiritual journey, dramatic adaptation, evolving message, renewal, thought-provoking, new insights, divine perspective, spiritual exploration.

Relevant Episodes:

Other Series:

  • Life Wisdom Project: How to live a wiser, happier, and more meaningful life with special guests.
  • From God To Jerry To You: Calling for the attention of spiritual seekers everywhere, featuring breakthroughs, pathways, and illuminations.
  • Two Philosophers Wrestle With God: Sit in on a dialogue between philosophers about God and the questions we all have.
  • What's On Our Mind: Connect the dots with Jerry and Scott over the most recent series episodes.
  • What's On Your Mind: Share your story or experience with God. What are readers and listeners saying? What is God saying?

Resources:

Hashtags: #fromgodtojerrytoyou #godanautobiography #experiencegod

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Scott Langdon [00:00:17] This is God: An Autobiography, The Podcast. A dramatic adaptation and continuing discussion of the book God: An Autobiography, As Told To A Philosopher by Jerry L. Martin. He was a lifelong agnostic, but one day he had an occasion to pray. To his vast surprise, God answered- in words. Being a philosopher, he had a lot of questions, and God had a lot to tell him. Episode 138. 

Scott Langdon [00:01:03] Welcome to God: An Autobiography, The Podcast. I'm your host, Scott Langdon. In next week's episode of The Life Wisdom Project, Jerry will have as his special guest someone very special indeed, his real life wife, Abigail Rosenthal. The pair will discuss episode nine of our podcast, a very crucial episode where God asks Jerry to tell His story. So, to provide you with the context of Jerry and Abigail's discussion in next week's episode, we offer you a fresh listen to episode nine: God Asks Me To Tell His Story. Remember, you can always find the complete audio adaptation of the book any time for free by beginning with episode one of this podcast and listening through its conclusion with episode 44. Here, now, is episode nine. I hope you enjoy the episode.

DRAMATIC ADAPTATION EPISODE 9: GOD ASKS ME TO TELL HIS STORY

Jerry Martin - voiced by Scott Langdon
The Voice of God - voiced by Jerry L. Martin, who heard the voice 

Jerry Martin [00:02:03] Nine. Memorial Bridge was lit by the sun, white and bright. The Lincoln Memorial rose up in front of me, also white, but grave and rich in national meaning. For me, crossing the bridge was a daily call to purpose. But the voice broke today's silent entry by announcing, out of the blue…

Voice of God [00:02:26] Your work here is done. 

Jerry Martin [00:02:29] My work here is done? I thought I was right in the middle of it. After teaching philosophy for fifteen years at Boulder, I had come to Washington on a Congressional Fellowship and stayed, working first on a Congressional staff, later at the National Endowment for the Humanities, finally at the nonprofit organization where Abigail had first reached me. When these prayers began, friends and associates were moving into the highest levels of government, and I was being asked to consider positions, just below Cabinet level, that would have crowned a career like mine. But now, suddenly, I was being told, "Your work here is done." Done. About that time, I felt guided to look at Matthew 16:13-14, where Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do people say that the son of man is?" "And they answered, 'Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'" Then I was directed to the very last verse of the very last book of the Old Testament. Malachi 4:5 promises that Elijah, the prophet who was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot, will return with God's message. "Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah…" Abigail's train was late. I had been waiting at Union Station for over an hour and stood to stretch my legs. Some now-forgotten images passed before my eyes, and then…

Voice of God [00:04:24] I want you to be my new Elijah. 

Jerry Martin [00:04:28] Your new Elijah?  Lord, I am not worthy. 

Voice of God [00:04:34] I will decide who is worthy. 

Jerry Martin [00:04:38] I don't have enough faith. 

Voice of God [00:04:40] You have more faith than you know. 

Jerry Martin [00:04:43] Who is Elijah? 

Voice of God [00:04:46] He is the prophet. 

Jerry Martin [00:04:48] What is he to me? 

Voice of God [00:04:50] He is you. 

Jerry Martin [00:04:52] No. Lord, this is crazy. 

Voice of God [00:04:54] He is you. 

Jerry Martin [00:05:05] There's a story Abraham Lincoln told about the man who was tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail. "If it weren't for the honor of the thing," the man said, "I would rather have walked." I'd seen the war movies: "You will have the honor of leading the assault." Some honors aren't worth it. I did feel the honor. God was about to put his seal on his role for me, a role more suitable for a real Elijah. I felt a swell of pride, as I was being told this, and immediately the line went dead. Ego had broken the connection. Abigail's train still had not arrived. I paced back and forth, no longer seeing the other people in the station. What to think? What to feel? Finally, I forced a deep breath and, with irritation mitigated by resignation, asked, “Lord, What exactly do you want of me?”

Voice of God [00:06:27] I want you to describe the inner life of God, what it is like to be God. 

Jerry Martin [00:06:34] The inner life of God? What it is like to be God? Why is that important for us to know?  

Voice of God [00:06:42] Humankind sees God only from the outside, and that leads to distortions in its view of God, as it would of anyone--too distant, awesome, oppressive, Other. Even mystics are very one-sided. They experience oneness, but that is not the same as empathizing with my subjective experiences.

Jerry Martin [00:07:07] We think of God as being so infinite and ethereal that "subjective experience" doesn't even make sense. 

Voice of God [00:07:15] Exactly--that's one of the distortions. Although I am much more than a person, I am a person, a soul, just like you. You--people--cannot relate properly, constructively, to me unless you understand that. Take love, for example. My love comes across as impersonal, generic, oceanic wallowing, but, in fact, it is quite specific, concrete, with feeling, with response to the particulars of your being, of your life. I want you to tell my story. 

Jerry Martin [00:07:54] Hasn't your story already been told in the Bible? 

Voice of God [00:07:58] Yes, but it is time for it to be told anew, and not in the same way. We are entering an unusual time in the history of the world. The old religions are coming apart. Yet there is a renewal of religious spirit. Many of the great religions rested on a relatively clear reception of messages from me. The new spirituality does not. It is aimless, made-up, impressionistic, psychologized, sometimes flaky and even dangerous and demonic. Not all *spiritual* forces are from God. Some are evil or distorted. A purity of message must be regained. But there is gain here as well. The old religions were limited. They fit the understanding of people at the time. The messages were sometimes garbled or misunderstood or distorted over time. Also, I have evolved since then. There is new information to impart.

Jerry Martin [00:09:10] There it is again: God evolves.

Voice of God [00:09:16] There is a long history, that has not been chronicled, of my development. I would like you to tell that story. My message is evolving over time. You will carry it forward. Do not credit this to your ego--it will be my voice. Focus on the task. The world's religions have spent themselves. They need renewal. Believe the inspirations I send you. Do not worry about any other standards than communicating correctly what I reveal to you. It may seem crazy to others; revelation always does. This is the courage of the messenger. 

Jerry Martin [00:10:04] I felt like Dorothy swept up in a whirlwind. And poor Abigail. Would she be swept up to? Her train had finally arrived. Over dinner, I broke it to her. She just listened, unfazed. 

Scott Langdon [00:10:38] Thank you for listening to God: An Autobiography, The Podcast. Subscribe for free today wherever you listen to your podcasts and hear a new episode every week. You can hear the complete dramatic adaptation of God: An Autobiography, As Told To A Philosopher by Jerry L. Martin by beginning with episode one of our podcast and listening through its conclusion with Episode 44. You can read the original true story in the book from which this podcast is adapted, God: An Autobiography, As Told to a Philosopher, available now at amazon.com, and always at godanautobiography.com. Pick up your own copy today. If you have any questions about this or any other episode, please email us at questions@godanautobiography.com, and experience the world from God's perspective as it was told to a philosopher. This is Scott Langdon. I'll see you next time.