Correcting our broken image of God
Micah 6:1-4, 6-8
With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow before God
most high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year
old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of
oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin
of my soul? You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires
of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your
God.
What is
your vision of God? Even though we
cannot see God, each of us has an idea, a mental picture, of who God is. And how we see God dramatically determines
how we live each day. Some people see
God as a strict judge, ready to condemn us for the smallest misstep. That was Jonathon Edwards’, who in 1741
preached a famous sermon called, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” He literally wanted to “scare the hell out of
people” in order to save them. Others
picture God more like a “Daddy Warbucks” or “Sugar Daddy,” who overlooks our
faults and, like a doting grandfather, gives us whatever we want. Even those who don’t believe in God spend a
lot of time and money arguing with those who do. They believe in a “shadow God” who’s not
really there, but they still write books and make money off a God who doesn’t
exist. I know, I bought one of Richard
Dawkins’ books! How we see God
determines how we live.
That’s why in the Bible Philip
eagerly asked Jesus, “Show us the Father!”
In other words, what does God look like?
Jesus answered him, “If you have seen me, you have seen the
Father.” Jesus is the perfect icon of
the Father. That’s why at Mass we stand
when we hear the 4 gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. When Jesus speaks, he reveals not only who he
is, but also who the Father is. And
Micah in the first reading today tells us how this Biblical vision of God
should make us act. He says, “Only to do
the right, and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” This is not Jonathon Edwards’ “Angry Bird,”
(your know, the video game) and it’s not a “Sugar Daddy,” it is a Father who
loves his children but also expects a lot from them. How we see God determines, to a dramatic
degree, how we behave.
You know,
you can also ask this question the other way around: how we behave is a clue to
how we see God. In other words, begin by
examining your behavior. If you find
yourself scrupulous and living a fearful and anxious life, it may mean you have
a Jonathon Edwards’ vision of God. If,
on the other hand, you live a carefree, reckless and irresponsible life, you
may see God as a Sugar Daddy, who never holds you accountable. If, on the other hand, you’re making tons of
money on books about a “shadow God” you’re probably an atheist! You see, there is no escaping God. You can ask the question from whichever side
you like – begin with God or begin with your behavior – but they are two sides
of the same existential coin. Who you
think he is and how you live your life are inextricably bound together.
Today,
pray like Philip did and say to Jesus with all your heart: “Show us the
Father!” And start to correct your own
broken image of God.
Praised be
Jesus Christ!
No comments:
Post a Comment