Our Image of God
When we look at what is happening in the world around us, it is not uncommon for us to have some questions for God.
When will the violence stop?
Where are you?
Why are you letting this happen?
Depending on our image of God, our answers to those questions might vary.
In their book “When Faith Becomes Sight,” Beth and David Booram write, “Our image of God is not God but more accurately the God of our present understanding.” Think about that for a minute.
The Boorams offer us two lists to consider when thinking about our image of God. These lists are a series of questions that can help reveal if we imagine God to be hostile or life-affirming.
Do you have a hostile image of God?
Does my God image pit God against me?
Am I afraid of God?
Does fear or guilt motivate me in my relationship with God?
Does my God image make me ashamed of being human?
Does it make me feel I’m not good enough as I was created?
Does it ever fuel my self-hatred or hatred for others?
Does it reinforce that God is untrustworthy and capricious?
Does it make God out to be competitive and domineering?
Do you have a life-affirming image of God?
Does my God image help me see God as a loving companion of all humans, including me?
Does my God image create and instill confidence and motivate me to loving trust?
Does it encourage me to embrace my full humanity and vulnerability as well as that of others?
Does it inspire me to see God as one who freely gives with no strings attached?
Does it challenge me to grow into adulthood and live from my true self, able to both differentiate and experience intimacy?
Does it reinforce my feeling that I am seen by God, felt by God, and safe with God?
Does it convince me that God is utterly reliable, no matter what?
These lists are not exhaustive, and on some days our image of God might be an amalgamation of both lists. Nonetheless, it is worth sitting with these questions and considering our present understanding of God.
I imagine, like me, that your image of God has changed over the years. Depending on the teachings we are listening to, the books we are reading, the people we are surrounded by, and the media we consume, our present image of God is continually being formed and unformed.
God is bigger than we can imagine, more mysterious than we can comprehend, and hopefully, the life-affirming image of God will continue to expand within us for our whole life.
If you’ve read The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, then you are familiar with the Pevensie children and their many encounters with Aslan. In Prince Caspian, there is a moment when Lucy Pevensie reunites with Aslan after a long absence, and they have the following conversation.
“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.”
“That is because you are older, little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
This conversation between Aslan and Lucy is one I think of often when pondering the image of God. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever - we are the ones who continue to grow and find God bigger year after year.
~ Melissa