Wednesday, July 6, 2011

God shaped hole


There are some phrases that just rub me the wrong way.  “We all have a God shaped hole” is one of them.  I’m not sure who coined the phrase, I’m sure they were/are smarter than me, but I just don’t like it.  When we claim to have a God shaped hole that only God can fill we put parameters on God and essentially make God a puzzle piece that plays a part in making our lives complete.  We then can control and define God.

I saw a lot of this yesterday with phrases like “the jury might say she is innocent, but wait until she stands before God” or “She will get hers from God” or even “God will make sure she rots in hell for what she did”.  I think you get I’m talking about Casey Anthony.  I didn’t follow the case that closely—only what I read on my Twitter account—so I haven’t even formed an opinion on whether she is guilty or not.  I know a little girl is dead and that makes me sad, but other than that I’m pretty much clueless.  Popular opinion seems to suggest she is guilty so for a minute let us assume that she did kill her daughter.  What demons would drive a mother to do that?  What if, instead of all the judgments people are claiming God will make, God embraces Casey and says: “I’m sorry you’ve suffered so much.  I’m sorry you were tormented to the point that you could no longer bear your child.”  What if God’s judgment is not punishment, but uplifting?

When we define God we make God into a heavenly warden rather than an Almighty Creator.  Where is the good news in that?

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