Read part 3 of our four-part reflection on the Ontological Argument
Read part one: God in the Espresso: How Coffee Helped Me Understand the Ontological Argument
Read part two: Chasing Eden: Why We Long for a World That Never Was - or Was It?
Ascending holiness
During my visit to Italy and Greece, I was struck by how visiting sacred places required a significant climb. We climbed the Acropolis to reach the Parthenon and scaled the Acrocorinth to stand before the ruins of the Temple of Aphrodite. Biblically, we have Mount Sinai, the Temple Mount, and even Jesus giving a Sermon from a hill. Interestingly, sacredness than which none greater can be conceived always involves an ascent. Humans intuitively know that maximal greatness can be found only when we approach the heavens.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed that we spend our lives ascending a hierarchical pyramid of needs, starting with acquiring basic food and shelter and progressing upward until we achieve self-actualization. In his framework, we move from fulfilling material needs to addressing transcendent needs, with each level gradually narrowing until it reaches a point at the top. Could this point signify God?
In his new book, “We Who Wrestle With God,” Jordan Peterson further explores this idea by referencing the Biblical story of Jacob’s Ladder.
“The continually ascending progress represented by a series of uphill climbs, each with its peak experience, is a variant of the path of ascension represented by Jacob’s Ladder, the spiraling rise into the heavens toward the Kingdom of God, with God Himself beckoning at the high point—on the apex of the highest conceivable mount.” (We Who Wrestle with God - Location 202)
We, therefore, have it on good psychological advice that our hunger for the good life requires more than material satiety but also a quenched Spirit.
Above our pay grade
When faced with a situation at work that exceeds our abilities, we often say the task is “above our pay grade.” The problem with this excuse is that, ultimately, all challenges exceed the pay grade of even the most skilled individuals. Unfortunately, due to our lack of humility, we ignore this uncomfortable truth and continue to promote people to their level of incompetence. However, as Christians, we are discouraged from climbing the corporate ladder and are encouraged instead to surrender everything that is above our pay grade to the One who is above it all. Isn’t the ontological argument merely another way of stating that the buck stops at a pay grade than which none greater can be conceived?
Who’s the GOAT?
One of the favorite topics in sports media is the debate over who is the Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T). Is it Tom Brady in football? Novak Djokovic in tennis? Pelé in soccer? This debate isn’t limited to athletes; it also extends to musicians. Who is the best drummer, guitarist, and keyboard player of all time? Writing “Clapton is God” on a wall at Islington Station proves Anselm’s argument is alive and well, even among the philosophically naïve.
While it’s undeniable that God is the G.O.A.T., asserting such a title as a human frequently encourages an unhealthy level of pride. This perspective invites us to reevaluate Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats. In this teaching, the Son of Man elevates the sheep to his right side, while the G.O.A.T.s are left behind, prompting us to consider the more profound implications of pride and humility in our lives.
Coming up in Part 4: What if the attributes we most admire in others—kindness, faithfulness, love—aren’t just moral ideals, but reflections of divine greatness? In our final article, we explore the personal nature of God—and why His image might be hiding in plain sight.
Erik Strandness is a physician and Christian apologist who practiced neonatal medicine for more than 20 years and has written three apologetic books. Information about his books can be found at godsscreenplay.com
