More about God

I have been doing some more pondering about God .

As I said before, the most helpful way I see God is through and in, the person of Jesus as he is unveiled to me in the Gospels and as my heart unfolds to him. Again, I know that God is revealed to others differently through their faith or through other mysterious ways. But I believe it is the same God.

As I said too, I think there are probably as many ways to see God as there are people. For many God is: 'out there' , 'judge', 'angry', 'all powerful', 'aloof', 'silent'.  There are others who have seen or experienced someone (or something) different. This God is: 'for us', 'beauty', 'joy', 'compassion', 'truth', 'integrity', 'delight in us'. How do we come to see such a different picture? Are there some right and some wrong? Could all be true? Obviously, I don't know the answer but I think that is why I find the God Jesus reveals to be something that 'makes sense' in my deepest heart .

I am reading another lovely book by Elizabeth Johnson called: Friends of God and Prophets. In one part of it she is talking about what the phrase 'the glory of God' has meant to people. She says ' Uttering words of comfort to people suffering the distress of exile, second Isaiah proclaims the glory of the Lord will be revealed namely, when they are delivered... [The glory of God] signifies divine beauty flashing out in the world and in particular bent over brokenness and anguish, moving to heal, redeem and liberate. It is a synonym for the holy God's elusive presence and action in the midst of historical trouble.' 

It seems likely that the God who is described there by Elizabeth Johnson and Isaiah is one we would like most; one who comes to us with comfort and healing and who mends our brokenness. But of course, we still have to contend with the God who seems silent and aloof because that is so often our experience. That for me is where Jesus fits in.

I see Jesus showing us not the all powerful, angry, judgmental God but the God who will transform our hearts so that we will care for one another; love one another; heal one another. I think he is saying that it is our hearts that matter not whether we live or die today; not whether we suffer or don't, today. I think Jesus' God is saying, 'if your hearts are open and loving then much of the suffering and anger and poverty and violence will be over and the glory of God will be found in the earth. 


Suffering is horrible and we should do all that we can to overcome it. But it will come to us whether we like it or not and it seems to me that the God whose glory hovers over the brokenness and anguish, redeeming and liberating is the God I want around then and always. I know I am part of that brokenness and anguish and that is why I need that God.


I write these words knowing that whoever reads them will struggle with them, will challenge them perhaps but is that not good? Because each struggle and each challenge hopefully,  brings us all closer to the real God whom we still hardly know.