Who is God?

 

Return to the Lord your God, for God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from punishment.  Joel 2:13 (NRSVUE)

 

Now return to the Eternal, your True God. You already know God is gracious and compassionate.  God does not anger easily and maintains faithful love.  God is willing to relent and not harm you.  Joel 2:13 The Voice Version

 

A few weeks ago, on Ash Wednesday, I preached on this passage of Scripture as a reminder of how God is described, defined, and depicted in Scripture.  Too often we accept, adopt, and fall into the trap of Marcionism.  Who was Marcion?  I am glad you asked!  Marcion was born in 85 CE in Turkey, he was the son of a bishop, raised in the faith, but fell out of favor with the church because he believed that the God of the Old Testament was angry and wrathful and the God of the New Testament was loving, caring, kind, cuddly like a goldendoodle.  Ever found yourself quoting this first century theologian without knowing it?  This line of thinking, that God of Jesus is different than the God of the Jewish people in the Hebrew scriptures has been around for a minute or two or since around 85 CE.

 

Who knew you’d read a Morning Meditation, and a history lesson would break out? 

 

Fine, you might think, so the passage above in Joel describes God with soft verbs and a fuzzy lens.  But-what-about the plagues and violence and killing?  Let’s be clear that the New Testament isn’t all chocolate rivers and pony rides.  We are in the season of Lent that culminates and climaxes with Jesus hung on a cross, convicted by the Roman authorities for a crime he did not commit.  And don’t forget Paul can get persnickety in his letters.  Don’t forget in Acts two people die for not giving all their money to the church.  The Bible is an adult book written for people who are asked to hold ambiguity and complexity together. 

 

Remember, on Ash Wednesday, I note that this description of God isn’t just in Joel.  Wait, you think, “I was supposed to remember that sermon?!?  When will this endless stress end!”  Insert a sigh here.  Don’t worry, I am not asking you to remember all the times God is described as loving, grace-filled, mercy flowing, temper controlling, and endlessly forgiving, because we are going to look at those passages this week.  “Yay?” said the people of God with a question.  For today, I want you to read slowly over how Joel names and claims God.  What are the images of the Infinite that swirl in your mind when you read these words?  What does grace feel like?  What does mercy smell like?  What would it mean for God to show restraint in anger and instead seek love?  What does it mean that God doesn’t have an accounting problem with human brokenness, but knows us, because God forms us?  Hold these questions as our perplexing God holds us during this season of Lent.  Amen.