God" is mentioned quite often in "Owning Your Own Shadow." Author Robert A. Johnson connects the most perfect, or paradoxical state, that a human can attain as the closest relationship that man can have with God. If a man who has attained paradox remains patient and vigilant, an equanimity will occur between the ego and the shadow and it will be the presence of God who will unite the fragmented parts of the personality. The resolution between the two opposing sides, ego vs. shadow, will then occur naturally.
Johnson demonstrates the duality in which civilized nations live. On one hand, the secular part of culture tells us that every man has a right to freedom and independence while organized religion teaches us that it is good to be subservient to something bigger than self, i.e. God. While there is a separation of church and state first conceptualized by Thomas Jefferson that has become entrenched in our government and mindset, elected officials from the president to mayors of small towns are sworn in by the Bible and swear to God to fulfill their duties.
While our Judeo-Christian roots have taught us that money is the root of all evil, our very currency system has the phrase, "In God We Trust," and a one-eyed pyramid which could very well represent the unity of dark and light. There are endless conflicts within individuals and society at large on a much larger scale. There is confusion about the role of God in the life of man and in the life of a nation.
In the dark and neglected area of our psyche dubbed the shadow by Jung, are golden treasures buried and forgotten. One of them is the image of God that we call up at emotional times and use in misguided ways. For example, when a person falls in love, he often recovers the gold in his shadow and projects this perfect "God-like" image onto the object of his affection. But the person is not God however and will not stand up to time and scrutiny. The image is shed and both parties are disillusioned and hurt
