Describe the God you believe in

The God I believe in.....or am striving to believe in.....in one word.....Abba .

I'm still getting to know Him.

My God wears one of those tuxedo t-shirts because He's kind of formal, but He also likes to party at the same time.

But seriously, when I imagine God (and I'm stealing this from Fr. Ron) I imagine a huge, warm loving face that desires nothing less but to be fully involved in every little aspect of my life. He's much more patient with me than I am with myself.

God to me is the Creator, the reason for all that is, but does not decide who lives, who dies, or when and how. I see a God who is NOT involved in every aspect of our lives, unless we invite God in. God is not a puppet master. There is a Realm or Kingdom of God that we are supposed to be forming right here, right now. It is not a future realm, it is not in another place or dimension. We have been given the instructions (several times and in several forms) and the intelligence and moral values to create this Realm, but so far we have failed miserably. God is not anthropomorphic, is neither male nor female, but just IS (I AM is the way God explained it to Moses). God encompasses everything, and therefore we have God within us, but we are the only life form that KNOWS that. In that sense we are created in God's image, as we are aware and are self-conscious. We have the mental ability to create (within our human limitations) and we have the ability to destroy. That is another way we are created in God's image. Our overall record regarding creativity and destruction is not good.

Personally, God brings me comfort and a sense of purpose. I believe that God does not direct our lives or has a definite plan for everyone, but allows us to use our lives as we will. It is like being given a free gift of immense value (life); do we squander it or do we use it wisely and beneficially? It is up to each one of us, but it is also up to all of us together as the "people of God". What do we do with the gift that God has given us?

Note: It is a good thing that this thread is in this particular section and not elsewhere, or I would be accused of deism, or pantheism, or whatever. May still be.

I'm of the opinion that God cannot be described and that any attempt to do so is idolatry, in a way. St Thomas Aquinas took this stance, suggesting that one cannot say what God is because He is the ultimate Mystery; one can only say, he went on, what God is not. Often I find that when people try to define God or understand His wants, needs, and desires they really end up describing their own.

I have a sense, personally, that God is ultimate love, mercy, and acceptance. However, while I generally understand this to be God, I remind myself constantly that not only does my understanding fall short it is also merely a pale facsimile. When I go to Mass and worship, I try to put myself in a place where I'm not bowing down against love in any human sense, but before ultimate love--even that is inadequate, really. What I--what perhaps we are meant to do--is bow down before the ultimate mystery; Someone we know of, whom we have never seen.

FrancesJames said:

I'm of the opinion that God cannot be described and that any attempt to do so is idolatry, in a way. St Thomas Aquinas took this stance, suggesting that one cannot say what God is because He is the ultimate Mystery; one can only say, he went on, what God is not. Often I find that when people try to define God or understand His wants, needs, and desires they really end up describing their own

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I am with you and Aquinas on this. God is simply beyond our human abilities to comprehend.

I would say tender and loving. A kind of fire of love and peace in the heart of the one who believes. Merciful and full of a love without any end. I honestly don't know what more could be said.