‘Looking for God………..’
After exploring a church in Italy, my 5-year-old granddaughter declared, ‘But we didn’t see God!’ Likewise, the Astronomer Royal, Sir Martin Rees in his explorations of the stars, revealed he had never come across God. So, what were they expecting to see? I imagine Mila envisioned a human version of God – perhaps a cleric! Sir Martin is mainly focused on the physical world, not personal or religious experience. So, for him, perhaps God is the great intelligence, the cosmic mathematician.
Theologian Karen Armstrong believes people have different notions about God. Some think of God as a personality like ourselves. Others have a more mystical, interior notion of God as a presence or transcendence in the depths of the self. Others see God as the ultimate meaning of our lives.
People of faith know in theory God is utterly transcendent, but we tend to tame and domesticate God’s ‘otherness’ too easily. Professor Nicholas Lash highlights the paradox that God becomes more unknown, not less, the more we understand him.
A legend tells how God resolved to hide himself within his own creation saying, ’In searching for me, my creatures will grow in spirit and understanding.’ One angel suggested God should hide deep in the earth. Another thought God should escape to the moon.
After a long silence an angel piped up with, ‘Why don’t you hide within their own hearts? They will never think of looking for you there!’
Heather Savini
6 July 2025
