God is...

The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything.

God is the ground, the substance,

the teaching, the teacher,

the purpose, and the reward for which every soul labors.

Julian of Norwich, England (c. 1342 - c. 1419)

Someone recently asked me what my personal beliefs were, and by that I am pretty sure she meant what do I believe about God. I love a question like that, because it offers an opportunity to be perfectly honest and raw especially when it comes from someone I know and respect!

These beautiful words from Dame Julian popped up today, and I thought "Here it is...this I believe."

With help from Teilhard de Chardin, Thomas Merton and Ilia Delio, these words ring pure truth for me, and they affect the way I see all things, more and more, every hour of every day.

Take a quick look at the power and depth of these words.

Behold God in EVERYTHING. Look up from what you are doing and think these words...what do you see? hear? touch? taste? smell? EVERYTHING

God is...ground, substance, teaching, teacher. Think of specific examples of how this can be true.

What are your feet on?

What is substance in your world? - "physical material from which something is made or which has discrete existence"

What are you learning?

What are you thinking and sharing?

How is God "the purpose and the reward for which <your> soul labors?"

and finally the big question is:

After answering all these questions and trying to fathom the grandeur of God, the magnanimity of God and the omnipotence of God, how will you, do we, will I respond?

That, my friends, will be our response to what we believe about God.

PS...How did a young woman in the 14th century living in a cell in this church know this profound wisdom? If nothing else, therein lies the truth about God.