What we think we know (about God)

Most of us have a 'pieced together' theology.  We have pieced together what we have heard about God from parents, Sunday School teachers, friends, pastors (hopefully) and about a thousand other sources [including Oprah, social media, our own thoughts, pundits on TV, and a few inspirational authors thrown in] to come up with 'What We Know About God'. 

This collection of voices has varying degrees of thoughtfulness, basic knowledge, and piety.  Not all of these voices have thought through the implications of their positions in the face of tragedy, evil, personal suffering, loss, fear and the unknown (to name a few).  A couple of them have limited knowledge of the Bible, which for Christians is the significant source for material about the God who reveals Godself (rather than the god who everyone thinks up themselves).

I have my own pieced together theology, and perhaps I have studied more than some and because of my call I get to think about these things as my job, but I too have been known to say, "My God would never do that."  You have to wonder what I was thinking.

"My God?"  Since when was the Creator of the Universe my God?  I don't have ownership rights.  I don't get to set the boundaries nor define who and what and where and how the God of all is, acts, says, doesn't act, speaks, doesn't speak.  On most days I try to live as a child of this God of all Creation, the Son who poured himself out for me and the Spirit who continues to call us into life.  On most days, I am comforted and inspired by this God.  But I don't own God.  God is God.  I am not.

I mention all of this for one reason.  No matter what you think you know about God, God will surprise you.  God continues to move and bring life in a creation that we try very hard to keep stable and stationary.  I am prone to take today's revelation (and whatever it was, of course, it was a surprise to me) and expect that tomorrow's God action will be exactly the same!  I take a few tiny steps into the unknown thinking that I am a top-flight explorer, and God is miles ahead, working to bring life to dark corners I don't know exist. 

I make judgments about who really hears and understands and lives as a child of God.  All the while, God is using the talents of a woman who can't cope with much of anything in this world, to do a job that no one else wants to do, in a ministry that serves thousands of people.  Even as I offer help to someone who 'just can't get their lives together' (my not very kind thought) God is pouring out help from many sources to this one who is treading water as fast as they can.

My education has given me the tools to understand doctrine, explain Bible stories, organize worship.  But, in the long run, I don't know God any more than most folks.  So I will keep it simple.  God loves.  God will continue to pour out that love as a gift so we might find life, and just perhaps, we will then turn and thank the Creator of All for the gift. 

God loves.   I should do no less.