People often make ‘God’ into a very big person living in the sky, apart and scary…. because being a very big person; you can imagine if such a personality ever gets real angry. For some God even seems to be bi-polar and very difficult to placate. I guess all of our ideas about ‘Ultimate Reality’ are idols that need to be outgrown no matter how refined or spiritual they seem to be. In the desert there are no signs to follow, just empty space, sand, dryness and deep thirst. When an idea of God is outgrown and we have the courage to let go of it, we can enter this experience of being in a very strange place with no path to follow.
Jesus has given us many things to ponder; his life being one of them, not just his sayings. I mean, how he actually treated others, listened to others and yes, at times became angry. We can twist scriptures to our own desires in order to perhaps brow beat others into submission. However fear does not work, at least for long. You can’t love what is feared, nor can trust grow.
When an idol is held on to it can resemble some pretty awful divinities. We are made in God’s image and likeness, yet it is easy to make God into ours. We are not called to change anyone, or to save them, no, we are called to love, show compassion and to plant seeds that will bear fruit later. We all do that for one another, often when we are unaware of it. When we experience the love and mercy of God, we then understands that it is offered, poured out on everyone. Only God can judge others, because he see to the very bottom of the heart, we see the surface, perhaps even of our own heart. God as St. John says is greater than our hearts.
People know if faith is experienced and not just quoted blindly.
Faith that is shallow can often be used to hurt others,
for only self knowledge that leads to acceptance and love,
can transmit faith to those they live and work with, or
just meet on the street.
Br. Mark Dohle, OCSO
