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What image do I hold of God?

Before I can answer who God is for me,
I have to ask:
What image do I hold of God?

Before sharing my thoughts on this topic,
I would like to invite you to ask yourself:
What image—conscious or unconscious—do I carry of the divine mystery?

Two images of God – and their effect

I would like to offer two contrasting portrayals

If I have learned that God is vengeful,
merciful yet unpredictable,
one who lets some enter heaven while denying others the way—
as has been taught in times past and still is today:
God sees everything — every mistake, every lie, every misdeed —
and will punish after death.
A tough, fair judge.

Then it is scary to read Psalm 139:
“You surround me on all sides, God.”

If, on the other hand, I imagine God as a loving God,
growing alongside us
judging with compassion and love even beyond death,
then these words bring comfort:
“God, you surround me on all sides.”

What shapes our image of God?

Words from the Bible are often used —
depending on what one believes or wishes to convey.
To find clarity amidst the confusion, I asked myself

If a book were missing — or a passage blacked out —
would the message I’ve received still remain?

Who is God to me?

And: Is God present only in one form or how can we envision this?

The three faces of God

translated from: Paul Smith: Is your God Big enough – close enough – You Enough?

Five travelers who had long been searching for God found themselves at the same inn one evening. They introduced themselves as they sat in the foyer in front of the warmth of a huge rustic fireplace.

The first traveler said, "I seek the creative principle of the universe, an infinite spirit. I am a spiritual, but not a religious person." When the question came, "Where is God right now?" this person opened his hands upward and said, "Beyond me."

The second traveler said, "I have found something different. I feel that God is a presence close to me. God is with me all the time, like an intimate friend." When the question came, "Where is God right now?" she said, "Right here, beside me," and folded her hands in prayer.

The third traveler said, "I have come to a different conclusion. I have discovered that God is within us. God is my deepest inner self. I am a part of God." When asked, "Where is God?" he replied, "Within me, as myself," and embraced himself with his arms and hands over his heart.

Who or what is God – to me?

This question is less about God himself than about me. What is my idea of God? What is your idea of God? How does spirituality affect your life?

Images of God

We need images to explain the world to us and to connect with others. Images help us grow, and they change over time—through experiences, through life itself.

The Trinity

My spiritual director always said: “I am happy to be a Christian because this is how I believe in the Trinity:

God's self-description

What touches me most is how God describes himself in the Bible. When Moses asks him his name, he says:
“אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה” – “I am who/that I am.” Or: “I will be who I will be.” or: “I am that which is.”
No gender. No fixed form. A being and a becoming.

I searched and asked myself: What can God mean for me? I found an answer in the "Three Faces of God," as described by Marion and Tiki Küstenmacher, Til Haberer, and Paul Smith.
(The Three Faces of God can be read, among others, by Marion and Tiki Küstenmacher / Til Haberer in GOTT 9.0., this article refers to it. and by Smith, Paul: Is your God Big enough – close enough – You Enough?)

Curious? Then read on!

The FIRST face of God

The FIRST face of God is the I AM. The first face of God reveals the divine essence that exists within every human being—in you, in me. It's about the fact that God is not only outside of us, but also works within us.

We are created in the image of God, and God is also in us.

I am created in the image of God, God is in me.

The SECOND Face of God

The second face of God is the one who walks beside us, close to us.
God as a presence to which we surrender ourselves. In the Lord's Prayer, in the all-loving, eternal One. In Jesus Christ. In the Mother of God.
God as you is approachable – in prayer with thanks, requests, praise, and doubts. God as Jesus Christ, who accompanies us, is at our side, in need and in joy. Jesus Christ, with whom we can speak as with a brother or friend. God who never leaves us alone.
read more

The THIRD Face of God

God is beyond us, transcending us. God is creation, in creation, in nature, in the beauty of being, in the universe, in the cosmos, in the emerging power. Here we can experience the divine mystery when we feel: We are one. Nicholas of Cusa, for example, writes: "In God, everything that is is folded. God is the unfolding of everything. He is in things in such a way that all things are in him."
read more

God is more than you think

Isn't it wonderful to know that God cannot be limited to a single concept, a single manifestation? God is greater, wider, closer, deeper, and different than we can imagine.

Ifeel, that God walks with us – and develops with us.

And with the three faces of God, I too can develop and move forward.

God in creation and in the cosmos – often further than I thought.
God as YOU – often closer than I expected
God in me – often stronger and more intimate than I felt or believed myself capable of.

Perhaps you'd like to explore this perspective, too? Or continue your own search?

What image do I hold of God?

Two images of God – and their effect

What shapes our image of God?

God is love—and that endures

A different perspective on Abraham and Isaac

Who is God to me?

The three faces of God

Who or what is God – to me?

The FIRST face of God

The SECOND Face of God

The THIRD Face of God

God is more than you think

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