Who do you think God looks like? How about
an image of God looking like a bent over old man with a long white beard -leaning on a
cane. All knowing - just waiting for us to put a foot wrong. Ready to shoot lightening
bolts at us and anyone nearby if we do something out of the ordinary.Then we have traditional images of what God looks like - God the judge.
More recently we have images of God explored in the movies. Dogma has Alanis Morrisett playing God. A God in 'totally' female form doing gymnastics and dealing with the 'badies'.
As a long time fan of 'Walker Texas Ranger' - I find here a very God-like image in Walker. Isn't this an image of God that is very comforting. In the words of the theme song - 'The eyes of the Ranger are upon you - . - when you turn around he will be there'. Because of Walker's American Indian heritage - he is all-knowing - all-seeing. Knowing where trouble strikes - he will pull up in his ute - beat up 6 bad guys - throw them in the back of his truck and cart them off to jail. He also has time to work with disadvantaged kids, teach school, visit widows and orphans and has a strong relationship with those around him.
We have the image of God in 'Touched by an Angel'. A forgiving encouraging God. A God who wants us to deal with the things of our pasts in a healthy way and to enable us to reach our full potential.
Then in the words of the song by Joan Osbourne - 'What if God was one of us - just a slob like one of us - a stranger on the bus - trying to make his way home.'
With all these and many more images of God surrounding us, it is sometimes confusing to know who or what God is like. To find out we can look to his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is God's Son - who became human - and lived here on earth with us. Jesus grew up like any other child, had similar struggles and joys. But he was a man with a mission - God's mission - to show us in a very personal and special way who and what God is like.
Jesus' main message was - Love God first and foremost and love our neighbours and our enemies as our selves - to love unconditionally and without human bound judgements.
To sum it all up - God is love and God loves each of us unconditionally.
Arohanui
Rev Heather Macdonald
[St Philips Anglican Church]