“It is an honor to meet you. What does “God” mean to you? I’m curious :)”
A question from Jack Saunsea. I know Jack from way back (in bloggy years that is about two years ago).
And around the same time I remember being asked that same question in a “programme” in church: “Who is God?” My response then was “Are you mad?” Because the best minds have for millenia attempted to answer that very same question without much success.
So as I read Jack’s question, I shrank a little. My default position: retreat inside and shut the door. Yet my God immediately said this: “You know who I am, why the reticence?”
You know who I am.
Indeed I do. My God has taken me on the journey of a lifetime – my lifetime. A journey without end. A journey of freedom. A journey as bright and fresh today as it was before I even realised I was journeying.
I know my God because my God lives within. I know my God – not through study or work or duty or sacrifice. I know my God because we live together. I know my God because I am becoming Him and He had always been me. I know my God as Love.
Just like the 007 franchise: “The name’s Bond. James Bond.” – so too my God: “The name’s Love. Unconditional Love.”
My journey is in Love with Love of Love and to Love. That is what my God means to me. And He kind of rubs off a little. I absorb that Love a little. I shed a lot of the angst and stress of being the Me I think I should Be – and becoming the Me I was always Intended to Be. That is liberating. Empowering. Enlightening.
My God saw what I did not.
Jack’s question was NOT about the definitive “Who is God?” and “What is God?” Jack’s question was “Who is YOUR God Paul?” Jack’s question was “What does MY God mean to me?”
And when I miss that personalisation, I think I miss God. I think we all miss God when we miss that. I think we miss the very relationship He desires and we desire (so long as it is after we die). I think that when we each miss the “MY” God – we miss the point completely.
“You know who I am.” Indeed I do.
So why my “default reticence” as I read Jack’s question? Very simply this: you might disagree with me. And I might look silly.
(And that was wrapped up in a much more admirable explanation – my “default” explanation:
When I tell you who God is (and who God is not) I get in the way of your God. When my God becomes “the God” I get in the way of your God. And when you do that to me – you get in the way of my God.)
The truth is much simpler: I might look silly. But …
I think that is because we all confuse “my God” with “GOD”. I think we all worry that we make “our God” – “The Only God” (because there can only be one God – right?). I think we confuse “relationship” with a “dictionary definition” – we distance God from relationship. I think we often prefer to define and refine – rather than love and love more.
“You know who I am.”
That is what (my) God means to me.
Thank you Jack. I never realised my God was that simple!
(by the way – Jack is a traveller as well. A traveller I enjoy. A traveller who is “who he was always intended to be”. You might enjoy his journeying too.)
Just me being curious 
Wonderful insight; God cannot be defined in dictionary terms because He is just too much for mere words, but “god” can be, because “god” is only an abstract concept. Our God can only be understood (to the extent that He can be understood by a mere man, in terms of our relationship with Him. Of course, where we have no relationship with Him, then “God” becomes only “god”. (If you catch my meaning 🙂 )
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Don – I love this comment – circular enough to baffle, circular enough to love. 🙂
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Thanks for your insights and for connecting it to 007. It is the great wonder of God–complicated enough that we could never imagine knowing all that God offers but intimate enough that we can call him Abba. “You know who I am!” Praise God!
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RoW – your comment and this: “complicated enough that we could never imagine knowing all that God offers but intimate enough that we can call him Abba” is beautiful! Thank you.
And “pings” something else: that we have a relationship with so many things like that: too comp0licated to know, intimate enough to call our own (and I include my computer in that statement!) 🙂
And yet when we get to “God” – that simplicity is to sparse. We need to “prove God” exists. But ask to me to explain my computer … no one expects me to – not even the tech heads! 🙂
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Great analogy to your computer.
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I was happy to see you stop by today! I hope your new year was a good one!
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Jason – I have followed and unfollowed your blog. Not really sure why if I am honest. Yet this comment has connected something deep inside. Maybe because I am struggling to keep up with others writing, others words, connecting with others and their heart on a page – and yet you find the time to respond to me – simply for popping in to your place – and with such gentle affection!
That is hugely humbling – and a much appreciated “lesson without words”. Thank you.
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No worries! We all get busy and our interests get spread. I do appreciate the response and I hope your weekend is a good one!
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Sometimes our relationship with our Heavenly Father is compromised by the kind of relationship we have/had with our earthly father. Making the transition can be uneasy. Because my father was an alcoholic, sarcastic, abusive, unfaithful to my mother, and just plain scary, I believe my fear of him carried over to my thinking of how God must be ….a punishing judge, an abusive father who is always trying to think of new ways to punish me. Only after many years of study and personal experiences did I realize His love came with much sacrifice, mercy, and grace. I am actually still learning about God’s character and His loving ways.
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Dale – you have one moment in my life of nearly six decades. At least four of those decades were the complete opposite of this moment (and 1 1/2 decades were being taught (and believing) this “harsh God” was not for me).
Which leaves a few more “moments” in this part of my life where I have also realised His love. You have been part of that. Others here have been part of that. And He has been the biggest part of that. By never “giving up”, by never “forgetting me”, by always seeing me as desirable and unique all those years I never knew He was!
“I am actually still learning about God’s character and His loving ways.” Amen – and I hope we never stop learning! ((hugs))
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Thanks for mentioning Jack. He was one of my followers. I’m cleaning house and I can see that he’s shuffled off by this post.
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Morlock, thank you. And I love your “About”:
“Mission Statement: Communication with the lonely and the suffering first and foremost. Secondary? Healing Collinsport. Occupation: actor/writer/comedienne (Yes, here you will see the text, but that is not all that I do.)”
I’m in!! 🙂
Paul
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Really? Like interactively? Or following? Oh, and just a heads up. I have had a few stalkers that have managed to either swipe or scare people away from me. They tend to follow me on all the social network sites and I have to block them. So be wary! (They’re basically in it to get more attention or readers to their fiction to themselves.)
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