Friday, March 2, 2007

God's Image

I think that each person on earth, each person who has ever lived, is made in God's image. I think God incorporates the best of each of us (our 'original faces'-see yesterday's post) but then is eternal and encompasses all. I believe that God is in all living things: animals, air, water, earth...all things, and we should find God in all things and worship God through those things but not worship those things. I see a majestic old tree and I recognize God's work; I worship God in the recognition and in my gratitude for the tree. I see that of God in another person; I don't think of that person as divine but I know the Divine lives in them and through them.
I believe that God is so big that God can be worshipped and understood in a different way by each of us and, as long as the desire for understanding comes from a true place inside, it's all good. God is big enough to be what each of we small humans need God to be.
Most of the time my understanding of God is that of a loving, divine parent who rejoices when we're happy and healthy and is sorrowed (and sometimes really frustrated) when we make mistakes that can hurt us or others (called sinning by some). Sometimes my way of comprehending God is through 'Sophia'-divine feminine wisdom whom I liken to Athena Parthenos without the human foibles and traits that the Greek's gave to their gods (Sophia is not jealous or vindictive the way Athena was described as being, for instance). Other times, my understanding of God is simply Divine Energy-the Energy which sparks all life and created the cosmos which, I suppose, relates my concept of Divine Parent.
I'm really interested in learning how other people perceive of the Divine. What are the images you hold of God? What images do you use to help bring you close to the Divine?

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