Friends General Conference

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ENVISIONING GOD

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Close to the Millennium, Oread Friends Meeting decided to ask members and attenders to contemplate how they envisioned God and to share their responses with the Meeting. The requests were made formally by federal mail, and the responses, which were returned in writing, were capacious and diverse. The Meeting makes them available to everyone here, with and without the names of the respondents, according to their wishes.

God is a concept created by people in an attempt to understand their world. God is seen as an all-knowing, all powerful creator/parent/judge. God has become a powerful force for good and also for evil in the world.

To me, God represents the seed of goodness everyone is born with that connects each of us together. This seed grows and flowers when people treat each other well and have the things they need to survive—things like food, clothing, and a safe, warm place to sleep. This is one reason why I believe in equality, fairness, sharing, and peace. When we treat people unfairly, or hurt people, we destroy the goodness that is in each of us and hurt the bond—that bit of God that is in everyone—that connects us together.  -- Deborah Altus

The earth is God to me. The trees and flowers and everything have a little bit of God in them. Even we have a little bit of God in us. This means that everything is nice in its heart. You have kindness in your heart. That is why you should treat everyone and everything well. That’s all I have to say.  -- Elijah Jost

To explain love or beauty is to explain God.

. . .

My body is God’s home.
I take care of my body and
everything I do with my body glorifies God.
Before my body existed, my soul was part of God
Right now, the soul inside my body is part of God.
After my body is gone, my soul will forever be part of God.

. . .

God is light and love.
Each person is this same light and love,
Equipped with one’s own light switch.
The best way to live
is to keep the eternal light switch on
so we can see and act clearly
with love and courage.
The light of God is always in us.
It’s up to us whether to turn it on or not.

. . .

God is inside you.
Be silent and listen for God’s words
Look and see God in everyone and everything.
It takes much more than 50 to describe God.
It takes silence.
  -- Carol Pilant

God is a spirit of good.

The Bible says that God is love. That seems true to me.   -- Harold Washington

Sometimes people call things they cannot understand "God." Some questions begin with the word "Wow" and other questions begin with the word "Why." "How" questions are often answered by science: How do rainbows or earthquakes occur? "Why" questions are sometimes answered by reference to God: Why are we here? Why should we behave in certain ways?   -- Bob Fraga

God is like a big fuzzy dog that keeps you warm, and safe, and happy.

Before we were brand new babies, God was smiling on dinosaurs, stars, and dandelions. When we are lonely, God may be watching over us. It we listen, we may hear God whispering in our ear. God laughs and claps when we take care of each other and are joyful together. To God everything tastes good.    -- Jean Grant

God is. This feels like the most important thing.

. . .

The creative energy that gives us life and healing is coming from God. Mother God/Father God provides something outside of ourselves to turn toward. We can feel connected with everyone in the world and also that, little as we are, we are loveable and loved.

. . .

This feeling of being connected, not only to people, but to animals, plants, and all of nature means that inside of us too, there must be a part of God. That is special and needs to be cared for in ourselves and in others.

. . .

God is. God’s love for us is like the love that we get from out parents—it is always there if we are willing to receive it. When you fall and hurt your knee, having it kissed seems to help. When we are older and get hurt we need to be hugged too and comforted by the prayers that [people are sending our way, channels of God’s love for us. Just because God is always around doesn’t mean we are usually aware of that presence. So we need to pay attention to the look in someone’s eyes, the joy of people playing and the suffering of someone who is hurt. Look at people’s eyes, listen to what they say, and see if something happens.

. . .

God is—like a warm hug, maker of rules we cannot ignore, right beside us, able to make us feel good, a teacher by allowing us to be hurt, a helper when we need help.
  -- Anne Moore

God is always present. God is always aware of you and me and everything. When I was younger, I thought of God being like a man who was the best listener I knew—fair, kind, and understanding. Another way of knowing what God is like is reading in the Bible about Jesus.   -- Tom Moore

I envision God as the force/energy that creates nature and great art. I feel this energy in meeting for worship. Sometimes I envision God as Jesus, a man. I rarely envision God as a bearded white man in the sky.   -- Francis Elling

Spirit Is Is. Is. Is. On Earth. In Earth. Under Water. Through Sky. In Every Every Every Being. Spirit Breathes. In and Out. In and Out Is. Is. Is. Smelling. Touching. Eating. Moving. Talking. Thinking. Feeling. Living. Laughing Loving. Growing. Dying. Is. Is. Is. Now. . .    -- Beth Schultz

I think we see God in creation--the created world around us and in ourselves. If we want to be like God, we should be creative. That is when I think I experience God the most, when I find a creative solution to a problem, or when I create Art, or when I see what others have created.   -- Jill Allen

Just like a fish in the sea doesn’t notice the water, I don’t notice how God is all around me all the time. But the fish needs the water, and I need God. When I remember I am "swimming" in God, my life is richer and happier.   -- Charles Gruber

Jesus said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." So the Creator is like Jesus. Jesus went about doing good, healed the sick, loved and taught love and forgiveness, and even forgave those who killed him. Then he came back from the dead to prove that death has no final victory.   -- Anne Haehl

I envision God as the source of all life, the bright sun, the winds which blow from Heaven, the beauty of flowers and the smile which always shines from the glowing face of the moon. God is the creator of rainbows and the peace of winter snow. God is the beauty and joy of friendships and family. God is the source of life that lives inside every man, woman, boy, and girl. God is the happiness behind all blessings. God is love, and love is God.   -- Donnell Joseph

Sorry. I can’t think about this right now.   -- Howard Baumgartel

God the Creator is the power of all we know and experience. God is not a person. We use the pronoun "He" or "She" only because "It" is too impersonal. When I pray to "God," it is to better understand my place in all of Creation. Sometimes it is easier for me to feel closer to this power when I can relate to "It" as "She." I believe that each of us has a place in God’s Creation and our place is better fulfilled if we listen and feel the creative force in our own lives.   -- Saunny

Bea is still thinking about her response.

God is like air. God is in me, in my lungs and blood vessels; and God is everywhere around me, everywhere I go.
God is invisible, is everywhere, touches everything, is in everything. God is silent, but things touched by God may speak from their own unique resonance.
God fills our bodies, making it possible for us to live, breathe, speak, sing, whistle, fart. God nourishes us constantly.
We can’t see God, but we can see where God is moving, like we can see where the wind makes the leaves tremble and the trees bend.
God is incredibly powerful, like a tornado, and incredibly gentle, like the lightest breath.
God surrounds the entire earth, and all living things are possible only because of God.
Every person, every animal, every plant, has equal access to God. No one owns God, and God doesn’t play favorites.
  -- Natalya Lowther

Jesus said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." So the Creator is like Jesus. Jesus went about doing good, healed the sick, loved and taught love and forgiveness, and even forgave those who killed him. Then he came back from the dead to prove that death has no final victory.   -- Anne Haehl

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