Gods appear in multitudes of cultures. At various times, they were numerous, each culture having various deities with different offices and abilities. Today, most of the modern world recognizes one god that everyone is to some degree expected to follow. We are so used to this that most pear are either threatened by the existence of multiple gods or reject the divine in general. Though, there is a reason we are drawn to the gods.
The definition of a god is relative and changes based on the culture. In the Christian mythology, their god is an all powerful immortal creator being. In the Norse myths, the gods are neither immortal or all powerful, in fact they weren’t even the first beings. I see gods either as archetypes of power or as spiritually evolved entities. What both ideas have in common is that a god has something you want. If you crave knowledge, you’d pray to Thoth. If you want courage or strength, you’d pray to Thor. If you want magical secrets, you’d pray to Hecate.
The basic idea is that through some level of reverence and faith, the gods bestow us with certain gifts. If they are archetypes, then we use them as personifications of what attributes we need and imprint those attributes onto ourselves. If they are truly real beings, then they take us under their wing. However, the question is do we give them full authority over us? I’d say no. Any god who’s worthy of worship doesn’t want to restrict their followers, but to fill them with the passion for life and teach them the responsibility to better work towards communal survival. Because of which, a god is a master, but with us as students, not servants.
Hail the gods above and below!