Whether or not we know it, what we really mean when we say that a God is dead is that the images of God vanish, and that therefore an image which up to now was regarded and worshipped as God, can no longer be so regarded and so worshipped. For what we call gods are nothing but images of God and must suffer the fate of such images. But Nietzsche manifestly wished to say something different, and that something different is terribly wrong in a way characteristic of our time. For it means confusing an image, confusing one of these images, no matter what forms they might honestly invent for the objects of their particular adoration. Time after time, the images must be broken, the iconoclasts must have their way. For the iconoclast is the human soul which rebels against having an image that can no longer be believed in, elevated above the heads of humanity as a thing that demands to be worshipped. In our longing for a god, we can try again and again to set up a greater, a more genuine and more just image, which is intended to be more glorious than the last and only proves the more unsatisfactory. The commandment, Thou shalt not make unto thee an image, means at the same time, Thou canst not make an image. This does not, of course, refer merely to sculptured or painted images, but to our fantasy, to all the power of our imagination as well. But we are forced time and again to make images, and forced to destroy them when we realize that we have not succeeded. The images topple, but the voice is never silenced.... The voice speaks in the guise of everything that happens, in the guise of all world events; it speaks to the men of all generations, make demands upon them, and summons them to accept their responsibility.... It is of the utmost importance not to lose ones openness. But to be open means not to shut out the voice - call it what you will. It does not matter what you call it. All that matters is that you hear it.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 03:51:26 +0000
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