God is what? How could we fill in the blank? In a way, the answer depends on what question we’re trying to answer, so we might use one of those ‘big’ words about God: Almighty, Creator, Holy; or we might use words about his relationship with us: Love, Gracious, Merciful; or we might want to emphasis what He has done for us in Jesus: My Light, My Salvation, My Redeemer; or some things Jesus said about himself: The Way, The Truth, The Life. Which is right? Well, all of the above. And it’s worth remembering that even God’s name, Yahweh, also answers this question, as it captures that essential quality of God: ‘I am’ – God is! But God is more than an exercise in theology or epistemology, God is a person to be encountered. So, perhaps, the most useful answer to my question is ‘God is near’ or ‘God is here’, an answer that comes with an invitation for each of us to respond and experience the Living God.
Raymond.