God," said Benedict Fludd, "your God, that is, strides in and out of my life with no warning. One day he seems impossible-laughable, laughable-and the next, he is imperious." He stopped. He said "It is like the phases of the moon, maybe. Or the seasons of the sphere we live on, rolling in and out of the light, skeleton trees one day, and then snow, and afterwards the bright green veil and after that the full heat and shining. Only it is neither regular nor predictable. And there are-others-who stride in, when he takes himself off. Who seem persuasive. Like Hindoo demons who are gods in their own terms.
by A.S. Byatt
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Benedict Fludd reflects on the unpredictable nature of his experience with God, expressing how divine presence varies from one day to the next. He finds it amusing at times, yet often feels its authority. This inconsistency reminds him of the cyclical changes in nature, like the moon's phases or the seasons, which are neither regular nor predictable. The fluctuating presence leaves an impression of uncertainty, suggesting a deeper complexity in his relationship with the divine.

Fludd also hints at the existence of other forces that appear in God’s absence, describing them as persuasive entities, akin to Hindu demons who embody their own divinity. This suggests a struggle between various forms of influence in his life, where the absence of a predictable God allows other, perhaps darker, powers to take the forefront. This adds to the ambiguity of faith and spirituality, illustrating a dynamic interplay between belief, absence, and the allure of alternative 'gods.'

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