God is never embarassed by us

​God is never broken. But our notion of God sometimes is.

Gregory Boyle says, "Nothing is more consequential in our lives than the notion of God we hold. Not God. The notion of God."

There's a lot of truth there, I think. It starts with the reality that when I say to you - "I love God" - and you in turn by chance say to me - "I love him too" - it's likely the notions we have of this God are different.

Some differences might be small. Some might be quite big.

It's not like we both say of our best friend Joe that I love Joe and you say I love Joe too and we both know we're talking about the exact same person.

Joe isn't a notion. Joe is a dude we both hang out with all the time.

God is different. God doesn't say "this round is on me." God doesn't show up to make a 4th in a foursome for a Saturday round of golf. God doesn't lend us his car or pick us up when ours breaks down.

Joe does that.

But the reality is, a lot of us start forming our notions of God based on Joe - who he is and what he does. When Joe picks me up when my car breaks down, I guess that works in God's favor.

It's when Joe ignores me at the party - when who I am no longer fits the picture of who Joe thinks I should be - when for some reason Joe doesn't accept me - that's when notions of God don't work in God's favor.

Because there's never a party where we aren't the first person God wants to talk to. There's never a party where God isn't excitedly introducing us to everyone as his best friend.

At least that's my notion of God.

My notion comes from an awful lot of people who aren't embarassed by me when others find me embarassing. Who don't reject me when others find me rejectable. Who don't wrestle with differences like Samaritan and Jew when it comes to love and acceptance.

Maybe that's because they know so much of my notion of God comes from the way we love and accept one another. Maybe because they know how difficult it is for me to believe God loves me when it doesn't feel like you love me.

God is indeed largely a notion. That is a lot of responsibility when you know so much of that notion is built on me and you and the way we love one another.

Or looking at it another way - what a glorious and beautiful opportunity. A beautiful opportunity to come alongside someone at the party that no one else will come alongside. Come alongside them and maybe leave them with the notion they just partied with God.

Maybe that is when when our notions of God will become as similar as our notions of Joe....