#my version of god

[momentsbeforemass]

Too small

(for someone who is struggling with who God really is)

For many of us, most of us, our God is too small.

Not that God Himself actually is too small.

But our concept of God? The version of God that we have created for ourselves?

Whether we have drifted into worshipping some lesser version of God that did miracles back in Bible times. But not today.

Or treat God like an impersonal life force that makes existence possible. But doesn’t do much of anything else.

Or any other of the myriad of ways that we create limited, weak versions of God. Small enough that we can put whatever’s left in a box of our own design.

But whatever way we shrink God down, what we end up with isn’t God. 

If we’ve got God down to something that we can control, something that we’re comfortable with, then what we’re dealing with? Isn’t God.

The truth about God? It’s in today’s Gospel.

From the mouth of a leper comes one of the deepest understandings of God in the Bible.

In six words. “Lord, if you will, you can.”

To unpack, God is the God who can. Whatever it is. God can.

And God will. Whatever it is.

God will. In God’s perfect judgment. And in God’s good time.

None of which may have anything to do with our ideas of what God should do.

Which is why J.B. Phillips nailed it when he said,

“God will inevitably disappoint the man who is attempting to use God as a convenience, a prop, or for his own plans. God has never been known to disappoint the man who sincerely wants to co-operate with God’s own purpose.”

Today’s Readings

[momentsbeforemass]

“Who do you say…”

“Who do you say that I am?”

Jesus asks this question in today’s Gospel. And gets a range of answers. It can seem surprising. Since He’s asking the Apostles, the people who should know Him the best.

But it really shouldn’t be a surprise. Because if Jesus asked you and me “Who do you say that I am?” We would give Him a range of answers as well.

This has been an issue for us as human beings from the very beginning. Literally. From almost the moment of creation, human beings have been answering this question in all kinds of ways.

Because there’s something in us that is desperate to remake God.

Whether we’re doing it so we can reject God. Or doing it so that we can control God. Or to get what we want. Or to avoid something.

Especially this last one.

No matter what else is going on, you and I are desperate to remake God. Because we can’t handle the alternative. We want to avoid God truly being God.

Because if God truly is God, then there’s no room for us to be God. For us to be the center of our own petty little universe, where everything orbits around us.

If you and I are honest, we know that we’re not fooling anyone but ourselves. That everything doesn’t revolve around us. And that we’re just setting ourselves up for a fall when we pretend otherwise.

The other problem with remaking God? Our inadequate version of God will prevent us from having an actual, healthy relationship with God.

If we’re focused on our inadequate version of God, then we’re going to be relating to, interacting with, or even avoiding something that doesn’t exist. Again, setting ourselves up for a fall when reality eventually comes crashing in.

Trying to remake someone else to meet our needs is a recipe for ruining a relationship. Or not having one at all. We’ve all seen how it plays out when we do it to other human beings. It never ends well.

Why should it be any different with God?

Today, make sure that your relationship with God is grounded in reality. Be honest with yourself about the baggage that you’re loading God up with. Stop trying to remake Him.

Instead, set yourself up to have an actual relationship with God.

Try letting God be God.

Today’s Readings