This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart,
that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below,
and that there is no other.
As Christians and Catholics we're often eager to speak of "God" in terms of the passage above, Deuteronomy 4:39. We tell ourselves and others that they should know God! And that he is the creator of heaven and earth! And he is all powerful, all wise, all good, etc. And we should love him with all our heart, soul, will, and being!
But are we speaking of the same God that Moses knew? That single sentence, lifted from the Book of Exodus, means nothing without the history behind it. We cannot speak of the Creator, nor of a Wise, Knowing, Good God unless He is the same who brought the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt, who provided for them during their sojourn in the wilderness, and dispossessed other nations so that they might receive the land promised to their ancestor Abraham.
Reading that story, some people question God's goodness. How kind was he to the Egyptian soldiers who followed their mad Pharaoh into the sea? And what about those poor horses? And the Canaanites who lived in the Promised Land? Weren't they there first?
And if you "keep his statutes and commandments" can you really expect "to prosper, and have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever?" Isn't that the Prosperity Gospel promised by charlatans?
Has meeting this God been a personal experience? Or are you just talking about something you heard someplace?
Sharing faith is a personal matter of sharing the practical experience of one's life, experience, and beliefs with others. It is a willingness to be known as one who loves God and routinely sacrifices time and resources to the Lord. As a missionary people, it is also a willingness to hear the stories of others and let their histories become your own. Because they are, in a very real sense, your story.
When I was in Louisiana I heard the story of African-American Catholics in a predominantly white, racist society; and I was proud of them for practicing their faith -- our faith -- despite the hostility of other Catholics! Their story became my story.
And, at the same time, it became my shame, and then my penance, as I recognized the racist sin that abides in my heart; and was so clearly there among my ancestors.
We cannot practice faith without penance for our sins. We cannot embrace the history of our Hebrew ancestor without recognizing as our own their complaints about the hardship of the wilderness. Yes, I would complain in the same manner; I would readily go with them back to the fleshpots of Egypt! Have I not complained about the blessings I have received?
Like many medicines, faith can be a bitter pill to swallow. But we cannot know the God who is in the heavens above and on earth below; and that "that there is no other," without claiming God's people as our own, recognizing our sins, and doing penance.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.