For this past year, the Record‘s Theology 101 column has been asking the question, Where in the World is God? Throughout the year, Presbyterian theologians have sought to recognize the signs of God’s presence in suffering, nature, worship, art, scripture, Christ, neighbour, community and the written word. This month we turn the theological reflection to a few dozen active lay members of the Presbyterian Church, about half of whom responded during the summer months to a questionnaire. To say we were overwhelmed would be an understatement. They were reflective, prayerful, joyous, spiritual. They told some very powerful and personal stories, some of which are reflected here. Across the board, the respondents were eager to relate their sense of God’s call not so much as a call to a specific vocation but rather as a call to respond faithfully in each action and interaction of their lives. “I believe my faith in God is infused in every part of my life – from what I do, how I do it, what I think, how I interact with people.”
“In my view you can recognize God’s presence from the moment you open your eyes in the morning until you shut them at night knowing that the day and the world are [God’s] and we are participants on the journey.”
In this article I present several common themes that emerged from these reflections on God at work in our lives. All followers of Christ are to discern God’s call in our lives and to respond to this call through our work in the world – whether as family member, farmer, accountant, labourer or service worker. What we do in the world is intended to be a kind of worship – a responsive enjoyment and glorification of God in life.
All the quotations are from the respondents.
God at work in Relationships
“I see God’s presence in the faces of my grandchildren.”
“When I had a baby and she was absolutely perfect – I was totally overwhelmed and knew that God was present then.”
The most common response to the question of what is most meaningful in life was relationships – with family, friends and church community. Some who teach described a sense of God’s presence in the faces of their students and the passion for learning. Several reported a sense of God’s presence in interactions between people when the flow of connection is felt.
“God’s presence is clearest to me in unexpected acts of kindness between people.”
God at work in Scripture and Prayer
“I have found the routine of reading my Bible every morning … as well as praying… has brought me closer to God, it gives me a positive start to the day, and it has given me a better understanding of what God has in store for me.”
Many identified the disciplines of scripture reading and prayer as a means of experiencing God at work in daily life. Passages of scripture intersect with experience and draw us to new ways of being faithful. Prayer is experienced variously. Some describe it as regular daily practice, some as an ongoing conversation through a work day – a prayer without ceasing. Interestingly, in most cases God is seen to be responsive to prayer, but most often in ways we may not want. “God has always been there through it all [through times of disappointment], patiently waiting for attention. My prayers, sometimes stunted and late, have been answered even though the answers follow God’s way, not mine.”
God at work in Us
“Whether it’s at the dentist’s office or gas station, part of seniors’ services, or providing care for the homeless, I hope that the people I deal with feel God’s touch.”
“God gives us opportunities to share [God’s] love and comfort. We need to be open to God’s leading.”
God is at work when we follow Christ’s example – in kindness, care and compassion; in treating others with honesty, patience, respect, fairness and dignity no matter who they are or what they have done. In reflecting upon his work in a provincial jail, one respondent described his need to treat the prisoners with “honesty and respect … [seeking to] exemplify the same care and comfort that our Lord pledges.
“Christ has been my mentor and guide.”
God is at work through our conscience – the “still small voice” within urging us to respond in love and faithfulness. The challenge for many is to respond to this call of conscience in daily life. “My experience of God is not always positive. I am like one of the goats in Matthew 25. I see strangers in church and do not always welcome them. I am approached by homeless people and ignore them. I receive a request for help for the needy and I pass by on the other side. After each occasion I say, ‘Yes, God was there, but I did not want to interact with Him.’ I am working on being more of a sheep than a goat. God is always present in my conscience.”
God is at work in our service within the church – in the courts, in mission, in administration, in theological learning and Christian education. God is at work through a sense of responsibility for others. We are entrusted with relationships, with people to steward and care for on God’s behalf. God calls us to inspire others to be a caring and compassionate presence in the world.
God is at work in transformative experiences in our lives. “As an immigrant with low self esteem and very conscious about my strong accent, I often felt inferior to my colleagues and intimidated by others, especially my boss. [Then] I started … seeing people around me and myself through God’s eyes and mind. God taught me that we are all the same to [God]. Now I feel comfortable around and closer to most people. I look at people as God’s creation and I don’t look at their status, position, or possessions.”
God at work in Others
When we serve others, we serve God. In describing her work with needy people in the inner city, one respondent says, “Every day I serve these individuals with grace and dignity and in so doing I am serving my God with joy, compassion and love …” Several people identified that God is at work in those who are broken and oppressed. Christ comes to us in the faces of others; inviting us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner.
God is at work in inspiring acts of courage and compassion – in the stories of people taking in Jewish families in Europe between 1939-1945 at risk to themselves; in the passion and convictions of students seeking to learn, to understand, to care; in the companionship of others during times of desperation and loss.
God is at work in congregations in the care and love and support through difficult times. “Shortly after attending that church, my youngest son was killed in a tragic house fire. I was so thankful that I had that church and my faith to support me at that time. My relationship with God has been strengthened.”
In all cases, God’s work through others inspired receptivity. In receiving from others we are also opened to receiving God more deeply.
God at work in Creation and Art
God is at work in unexpected moments of grace, of overwhelming awe, in the midst of the intricacies of God’s creation. The gifts of God are seen in the delicacy of a hummingbird, in the growth and blossoming of a garden, in the mystery and wonder of nature’s beauty, and in the creativity of the human imagination.
“When I am outdoors and I look up at the trees and the sky, there is such beauty in nature; I always marvel … at how enormous the world is. And I feel grateful to God for the beauty and majesty of nature.”
“God is present in my garden. There are birds. There are trees. There is a view close by where the city can be seen on the backdrop of blue skies and ocean. God is present in St. John’s.”
“God’s presence is clearest to me in the awesomeness of works of art, be they drama, music, painting, architecture, sculpture.”
“I am drawn to [the arts and nature] – for they are keys to the mystery of life.”
God at work in Dark Times
God is at work in times of loss and agony. “My partner died in a terrible accident and I was overcome with grief and anxiety about the future. I had an infant son and felt very lonely. One particular night was extremely hard and I was distraught. Suddenly the biblical verse, ‘the Lord is my shepherd,’ came into my mind and I said the words out loud. By the end of my recitation I felt a profound sense of relief. God had been with me in this dark moment and I no longer felt alone.”
“Afterwards (when my wife had died), when I was experiencing the pure, raw anguish of unbearable grief, [I felt] God’s love and compassion most closely, and indeed, [it] saw me through.”
God is at work even when we don’t feel God’s presence. “I confess there are many times when I do not feel God’s presence, but recently I learned that one of the greatest and humblest people of faith of all time, Mother Theresa, experienced long periods when she felt abandoned by God … If such a spiritual great as Mother Theresa felt like this at times, then surely we need not be discouraged when there are times in our lives when we seem unable to feel God’s presence. And when we carry on trying to do God’s will, in spite of this seeming lack of affirmation from God, is this, itself, not faith?”
“Sometimes … my faith in God is challenged in my work. Teaching on the Holocaust and Nazism can be very difficult as the details of violence, suffering and terrible injustice of this era are often overwhelming. However, my faith gives me hope that beyond the inhumanity of this world there is peace, love and resolution for those who have suffered so much – especially the children.”
God is at work in retrospect giving strength in times of crisis. “My husband had his face burned twice in 11 years. We had four young boys … My husband was off work for three years and spent about half that time away for skin grafting. Looking back over that time, God had to be looking over us.”
Another respondent reflects on life: “When I look back I realize that God was present, not to heal, not to make things better, but to give me physical and emotional strength I might not otherwise have.”
“When things are difficult … I know God will give me strength to see things through.”
God at work in Gratitude and Humility
For many respondents, the opportunity to ponder God at work in their lives enabled a life review that inspired humility and gratitude. “Anything good that I have been able to do, I attribute to God’s grace.”
“I recognize God in my life because [God] has given me the wisdom and strength to make the most of every major decision throughout many decades.”
God is at work everywhere and when we see this we can “revel in the beauty of each day … and realize we are loved by a God that makes all things possible.”
In a final crescendo of gratitude and humility, one respondent quotes Micah 6:8 to sum up God’s call in life. “What does the Lord require of us? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.”
Amen.
The journey to write this article for our denominational magazine began as another ‘to do’ in a long list of ‘to dos.’ Yet as I set down to work, to draw out the emerging themes, to honour the experiences shared by these siblings in faith and to reflect theologically on God at work, I have found myself caught up in their stories, transfixed by their testimony. Hours pass as minutes as I listen and seek to bear witness to the mysterious ways God works in life, in real peoples’ lives. I have been brought to tears by the courageous honesty and tenacious trust of many respondents in the face of anguish and devastating loss. I am inspired by their witness for justice and compassion for God’s beloved children and the world. I am humbled by experiences of grace, divine generosity and God’s abiding steadfastness. In reading and reflecting on these shared journeys, I find myself surrounded by the community of faith invited again to partake in Christ’s body. In the coming together of this wee article, my work of reading, thinking and writing has become a means to glorify and enjoy God in humble thanksgiving. Through no will of my own this work has become worship, blessing, a response of gratitude to God’s overflowing grace. Thanks be.
