The Way-less Way Part 2

 

In the beginning, when God began creating, one of the deepest prayers was for relationship.  But how do you craft, cultivate, curate a relationship?  When the great cloud of witnesses puzzled over this, they suggest God hide on Mount Everest, or travel to the moon, or even dive deep into the earth.  But none of those seemed quite right to the Sacred. After a very long silence, there was an idea whispered in God’s ear.  ‘That’s it!’ God shouted with a smile.  ‘I’ll hide inside each human; they will never find me there!”

I love the playfulness of this story.  We love to go looking for God all around us, rather than within us ~ as close as our next breath in this very moment.  Pause for a moment, where have you looked for God?  This could be church, retreats, creation, small groups, meditation, working for justice, volunteering, just to name a few places.  When and where have you caught glimpses of God; traces of grace; holy love lingering in the air?  I know sometimes I have found God in unusual places…then when I try to go back to that place…it isn’t quite the same ~ or I am not the same ~ or some combination of both.  When, where, and how you search for God are some good questions to hold lightly on tis ‘way-less way’.  When, where, and how you search for God will all be part of the way-less way.

To be sure, looking for God in us can certainly seem narcissistic or self-involved or just odd to our ears who grew up thinking of God as an old man with a white beard throwing lightning bolts smiting people.  I sometimes wonder how preaching this God ever kept anyone coming to church!  Yet, the foundational, fundamental truth is that you are created, crafted, loved into being in God’s truth.  Genesis 1 and 2 are all about original blessing and goodness.  The church made the mistake of skipping over that and went straight to Genesis 3 and original sin (which isn’t even used in the passage by the way).  I do think we need to be careful not to get too wrapped up in our own interior, less we suffocate, we also need to realize that God shows up disguised in our lives.  And Genesis tells us, it is not good for humans to be alone.  We are made for relationship with God, others, and self ~ each an important piece of the trinity of life.  How, when, and where did God show up in your life yesterday?  Name and celebrate this as part of the way-less way God is guiding, informing, inspiring, equipping, and empowering you in these days.  Amen.