God

Just two weeks ago, it seems like a lot longer ago than just two weeks, I led a group through material titled, "The Story of God." There was an interesting mix of people who interacted, for some like me the story was old and familiar; for some it was the first time they heard the story; some new little of the story but felt the story was not for them; and some had heard the stories before but the stories had little effect on their lives.

Almost everyone had the same response as we walked through the stories: Who is this God/god? Is He good or is he just on a power trip? How do we know God's character and how can we trust this God that sometimes seems hard to understand.

It really challenged me to examine again what I believe about the character of God. Can a God who drowned everyone except Noah and his family be good? Could God have handled Eve's apple bite differently? I usually see these stories through the lens of grace - God working to restore his relationship with me and you. But as I shared them with students who were not familiar with them, they often asked questions not related to grace but judgment. Questions that are uncomfortable because simple and packaged answers really do not feel very satisfying.

As I have thought about this the past two weeks, especially as I have continued to dialogue with some of the students, I have been reminded again that God does not fit into a neat and clean packaging. Sharing God's story raises questions for me as the sharer just as much as for the hearer. I am glad God has pushed these questions up and that I have been able to wrestle with some of the questions along side of friends who are wrestling with how their story and God's story may intersect.