The disciples of Jesus asked him more than once what to do, how to do it, whom to trust, and the like. Finally they cave and ask again: To whom should we go, you have the words of eternal truth? We’re still asking.
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Do you remember the delighting children’s book called Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman about a tiny hatchling bird who hops out of his nest while Mama is off looking for food? The baby can’t fly yet so he walks/hops all over in search of his mother, asking every imaginable critter and object he encounters, even an old car: Are you my mother? The book of course has a happy (resolved) ending, because all good books do, but I will tell you that the little bird alters his question to resolve his quest.
I bet lots of people search for God the way the tiny bird searches for his mother—endlessly inquiring in every direction: Are you my God?
The Church says: No, but people have called me a mother.
The Bible says: Not me, I ask all the same questions
The priest says: Close but no dice, birdie. I’m a man!
The tree says: Not God but God made me, I think. Check my roots.
The Buddha says: Don’t bug me, bird, I’m Oming.
The river says: Not me. I drown people who ask silly things.
The seagull says: Are you kidding, midget? Fly off.
The mountain says: Climb every one of my kind, kid.
The Christ says: Check with the Father.
The teacher says: Read another book.
The psychotherapist says: Think of a time when you felt completely loved as is.
The theologian says: God doesn’t leave you, birdie. Get another God, not Mama.
The agnostic says: I don’t know.
The atheist says: There is no God. Get a grip!
The Virgin Mary says: I’m a virgin, but some think I’m God—gender aside.
St. Ignatius of Loyola: Pray and Discern
The little bird collapses into exhaustion, sobs, and falls into a heap—when suddenly he hears a quiet voice: Try your wings, kid.
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There is much more to finding God than the search alone. After you seek, you ask more and more questions, you find many, many answers. Then you seek, ask, and find more and more answers until you are exhausted. Do all the good you can, go home, look in the mirror, grin—and trust.
3 comments:
This is brilliant! It is my complete and continuous journey, the journey of my spirit to keep connecting with the Holy. The questions are as surprising as the answers and my reaction to some answers. I love the image of looking in the mirror and grinning. I love this grinning at God and God grinning back is a wonderful connection. Do you think God winks? Laurie
The (woman) priest says, “No, check with Mary.”
Christ says, “Check with my father/mother in heaven.”
I say: No, my God is not a parent in heaven or on earth.
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