Finding God is such an interesting phrase. It makes it sound like God is playing hide and seek.
If we are honest, sometimes it feels like that. Sometimes it feels like it is difficult to connect to God, if there is one. Sometimes the pain is too much and the fear is too great to think God could ever be present. Other times, it feels like God is so present it is palpable.
The Divine does not play hide and seek because the Divine presence is all around us always. The question is whether we are paying attention.
So if you struggle to find God, if you’ve left your tribe and have yet to experience God elsewhere, if you feel like God has forgotten you, this one is for you.
There’s a story in the Hebrew Bible where one of the main characters, Jacob, had a crazy dream. He dreamt that there was a ladder that came down from the sky and angels were going up and coming down the ladder. When Jacob awakens from this dream, he says, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.” It is easy to walk through life and not realize that God is indeed present. It is easy to not pay attention. As progressive people of faith, we have an opportunity to encounter the Divine presence in diverse people, experiences, and settings. If only we wake up.
So here are 5 ways to find God today in no particular order:
- A good book
This is not an endorsement of the cheesy Christian fiction genre. We’re talking classic novels, anthologies of poetry (try Mary Oliver), or even a good biography (hello Becoming). Have you ever gotten so into a book that it was impossible to put down? Have you ever wondered why? It is because through it, you’ve encountered truth, wisdom, and a meaningful story. These are opportunities to encounter God through stories.
2. A great movie
In a similar way, if we pay attention, movies have truth and wisdom to offer. Anytime there is truth and wisdom, there is God. Have you seen Mary Poppins Returns? What a fitting picture of grief and family! Be on the lookout for another post soon about spirituality of movies.
3. A Hike (to a waterfall or lookout)
There is no greater way to get a glimpse at the beautiful world we have been placed within than to hike. A waterfall or scenic lookout just makes it that much better. It is in nature that we are given opportunities to wake up to the trees, the songs of birds, and the animals that dwell in the woods. These all gives us a snapshot of the glory and greatness of our creator.
4. In the eyes of your neighbor
When is the last time that you checked on your literal neighbor? So often, we have a tendency to forget about the people who are right in front of our very eyes. When we look into someone’s eyes, we are looking at a beloved child of God. See them for who they are. When we see someone—really see someone—our understanding of God grows. Each person adds something to the image of God in our minds because each person bears a different piece of that image to the world.
5. In the eyes of your pet
Where else do you find devotion and loyalty like that? Our pets can teach us a lot about our Creator. They are devoted. They are loving. They are often times intuitive. Look into the eyes of your pet and connect with the Divine who is creative. God leaves fingerprints on everything She creates.
Author Barbara Brown Taylor talks about getting out into the world to encounter God in creative ways. She says that if reading the Bible doesn’t make you want to close it, you are doing it wrong. What if religious people have been doing it wrong the whole time? What if God never intended for us to get caught up on memorizing the Bible and devotion to it? What if we have missed God in front of our very eyes?
How do you find God? Comment below!