Who/What is God to you? Who/What are You to God?

 These are not easy questions and their answers are a work in progress; these questions seem to keep coming across my landscape.  They show up in spirituality podcasts, they arise in Zoom meetings about spiritual direction, they come up often in conversations and prayer. So it's time to take a stab at the answers as best I can. This is a post that I will put a pin in because I have no doubt that over the next few years the answers will continue to grow and evolve.  

God is as close as my breath.  These words often begin my morning prayer as a reminder that I am never alone. I believe that the Holy Spirit resides in me and as my paraclete, operates as my advocate, counselor, and helper.  This paraclete is my greatest cheerleader and in unexplainable ways leads me onward, helping me to believe in the possible. As I read the gospel each morning, I pray and journal about how I can take on the thoughts and actions of Jesus as my own. Jesus is the role model of living out love in the world.  God is Creator,  Source of love, and worthy of my devotion and adoration.  

A few months ago in a Spiritual Listening workshop I wrote this in my journal:  The spirit of God is with me at all times. God is always here and available. God wants nothing more than to be in relationship with each of us.  We hold the power that decides the when and where and how our relationship will grow and mature. I need only take a breath and turn my attention to God.  God waits on me and looks with love each and every time I draw near to the Spirit.  God is merciful and just.  God is the prodigal father waiting in the road for our humble return.  We come with broken hearts and God wraps us in God's loving embrace, refusing to enter into conversation of our faults or misdeeds.  God is love.  There is nothing we can ever do that will separate us from this eternal and unconditional love.  

The followup question is much more difficult to answer.  Who am I to God; I am Christ on earth.  I am now the face and hands and feet of Jesus.  I am the church alive in the world. Those that I touch and welcome into the God's realm come because I am able to take on the compassionate face of Jesus. It is now I that say the words, "Come and see."

More to come...