Good God
So it's been a while since I've been around here. Truth be told, I don't really know what to say here. Life is moving a million miles a minute. Anything I think I might like to put here I often won't because I think it will be of little value to anyone else. Or, any other time, I simply thing I have nothing to say.
Recently, I was sitting thinking about God. I was trying to come up with words to describe my conception of "my" God. It's more difficult than you think...
So then I got to wondering... what is YOUR conception of God? Certainly it is different than mine, even if we profess the same faith. So what is it? Let's hear it. -- And yes, I am being completely serious. Please comment here or email me with your conception of God. You don't have to put your name on it if you don't feel comfortable doing so. This question is less about you and more about me. I'm not here to judge your concept, especially given that it's YOURS! I believe we will all have our own concept and that it's okay that way. I really want to dive deeper into my concept of God so that I might finally know. I think for too long it's been what someone else says God is and not what I believe God to be. I'm just doing some soul-searching, if ya feel me.
Tell me, will ya help a sista out?
Recently, I was sitting thinking about God. I was trying to come up with words to describe my conception of "my" God. It's more difficult than you think...
So then I got to wondering... what is YOUR conception of God? Certainly it is different than mine, even if we profess the same faith. So what is it? Let's hear it. -- And yes, I am being completely serious. Please comment here or email me with your conception of God. You don't have to put your name on it if you don't feel comfortable doing so. This question is less about you and more about me. I'm not here to judge your concept, especially given that it's YOURS! I believe we will all have our own concept and that it's okay that way. I really want to dive deeper into my concept of God so that I might finally know. I think for too long it's been what someone else says God is and not what I believe God to be. I'm just doing some soul-searching, if ya feel me.
Tell me, will ya help a sista out?
posted by Laura H. at 8/20/2008 05:52:00 PM
4 Comments:
My Spiritual director (a priest) asked me to describe God at our very first meeting. He said it helped him understand where I was in my development. That makes sense because as my understanding of Him deepens (I hope) my mental image changes. I used to envision the Sistine Chapel image of a grand white bearded God the Father who was unknowable in many ways but now my concept is more like that of Christ in the Divine Mercy.
God is, of course, much more than I can picture, but because of the Incarnation we now have a concrete image to use to focus on Him and his life story to know Him better. What comes out is a love, strength and tremendous self possession that forbears us in great patience and tenderness as long as we seek Him. Not that He doesn't constantly challenge us to act more selflessly , forget the world and serve others. This is not some passive love but an active call to grow by emptying ourselves and letting Him in. Whenever I'm more gentle in word or deed it's because I seek to act like Him and I believe that He acts through me, as I've invited Him to do, and as I imagine He does through all the faithful.
I didn't know what love could be when I was single. I thought I understood after I was married but it was not until I had children did I really love with a whole heart. God makes that love of mine seem small. His love for us is boundless and beyond our ability to hold or return in kind. Again not that this love doesn't have expectations for us or can not be disappointed, but truly God is love in the sense of a transcendent pure love that we must grow to receive properly.
My concept of God is growing and changing. My first thought is mercy, unending, undeserved mercy always flowing from the Father to me and all of his children who desire it. The other is that God is about community, as He is three in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This reminds me that I should also be in community with others, each of us using our gifts and talents to build up the Kingdom.
I often picture God in prayer as the one to sit with and put my head on His chest as He holds me.
God is the ultimate. From the ancient of days He ruled in righteousness. To the omega and great distress of those confined to lives of flesh that pass away never to return, He was perfect in every way. God is Love and Love is indestructible. If you have (true) Love in you, God lives in you and you cannot die. We’re told to not fear those who can harm our body but what most people don’t know is that the Most High and Great True God lives in us when we do Love others in truth. Life is a test; we must Love God’s people (even when we are incapable of understanding them) to prove that we are capable of true Love and not just claim to Love. Love is the force of all life and is all-mighty. Love forgives, is patient and keeps no records of wrongs. So Love everyone including your enemies and never follow the doctrine of nicolaitanes (which is the doctrine of men who dare claim they have the right to judge in the name of Who they ought not). Love is God, God is Love if Love truly lives in you, you will not judge and you will not harm others. Mankind has no right to do such things.
As men (and women) we should understand that our consciousness is not supreme and we only have the great capacity that we do in-deed have because God gave it to us. Even so, being the most basic creature that’s capable of true Love and free will at the same time, much responsibility is placed in our hands every day. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, run to Jesus because He gave up His own life, by His own will, so that we might understand His great Love.
Excellent post! It's good to see that you are still writing here. :)
My God took a chance on all of us in creating us free—but we are free, because God loves us. We are free to love Him and express that love, free to reject Him, free to make mistakes and therefor free to learn about ourselves and about each other about God's creation.
What good is love is it isn't free?
God trusts us with freedom of conscience. God allows us to be as free as possible. God also asks us to imitate Him. Therefor, we should seek to allow others to live as freely as possible as well.
That's what helps form my more “libertarian” outlook. “My God” is a big fan of liberty and, thus, so am I.
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