I just about couldn't wait to get to G. I personally believe the word "God" is so overused--it's lost its potent "shock and awe" power in today's world. And the picture that most of us get when the word "God" is used is very, very small...as in "made in our own image". I still use it most, simply because of habit--it's the word I'm most familar with, but I long for something "more", so I'm always on the hunt for the "new label".
A week or so ago, I found a new name for God in the book of Wisdom, chapter 1, verse 14: ...the generative forces of the world are wholesome, and there is no destructive poison in them.
GENERATIVE FORCE--that's a wonderful description of God, so I've been calling "her" that for the last few days.
Looking for something else entirely, I opened Henri J.M. Nouwen's Bread for the Journey. Mind you, I haven't even cracked a Nouwen book in nearly 5 years, but I did today. Synchronicity! For today, December 7, Nouwen writes:
"One thing we know for sure about our God:
God is life.
God is love.
God is beauty.
God is goodness.
God is truth...
Our God, who loves us from eternity to eternity, wants to give us life for eternity.
When that life was interrupted by our unwillingness to give our full yes to God's love, God sent Jesus to be with us and to say that great yes in our name and thus restore us to eternal life...There is no cruel boss, vengeful enemy, or cruel tyrant waiting to destroy us--only a loving, always forgiving God, eager to welcome us home."
Hear, hear, Henri Nouwen!
When I think of Generative Force, my mind races to Hildegard of Bingin, and her words on "greening". She believed one of our responsibilities as co-creators with God is to "green one another". She even invented a word for that "greening power", "viriditas". Viriditas is that green energy of agape love pulsing through the universe...the emerald rainbow around the throne, the Mercy Seat of God.
So, for today, I will delight in the G words: Generative, Green, and yes, God.
No comments:
Post a Comment