what is god? Where is God? who is god? is God looking for me?
God is too big and too small to name – words can only attempt, approximate, give a feel for, the experience. One reason poetry and music are wonderful in god-discussions is because they speak the language of metaphor. Metaphor frees us up to express the vastness and smallness, the out-there and in-here of what we might call God. Even the word “god” is merely a placeholder. God moments are fleeting – and yet worth seeking and recognizing and breathing into. God is as big as Sinai, and as small as an atom. God is within us and outside of us. god is in the park, at the ocean, in the human heart. God is in our stories and the connections between us.
The poet Kabir says this:
Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat.
My shoulder is against yours.
you will not find me in the stupas, not in Indian shrine
rooms, nor in synagogues, nor in cathedrals:
not in masses, nor kirtans, not in legs winding
around your own neck, nor in eating nothing but vegetables.
When you really look for me, you will see me instantly —
you will find me in the tiniest house of time.
Kabir says: Student, tell me, what is God?
He is the breath inside the breath.
This month in Hineni, God is our topic of conversation. We are exploring the many pathways to understanding god in Judaism, and in our lives. It’s a lifelong discussion yet we are beginning to put our arms around it. YES IT’S OK to NOT believe in god. All are welcome – to find out more click here: http://www.ravjill.com/hineni/
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