I have been thinking and reflecting lately on the nature of God. Is he really “the same yesterday, today and forever?” I wonder.
When I read the Old Testament I see a God that was incredibly active. He created the world, put a rainbow in the sky, made the sun stand still, and even parted the Red Sea so the Israelites could pass through on dry land. This is some amazing stuff.
Not only was God active, he was also more brutal. God produced an earthquake to consume the rebellious clan of Korah, told the Israelites to kill every man, woman and child of the Amalekites, sent a plague that killed 70,000 Israelites and inflicted every imaginable horror (including killing firstborns) onto the Egyptians because they wouldn’t let their people go. This is disturbing to me.
As I turn in my Bible to the New Testament, I see a God who is still active but without most of that brutality. I like this God a lot more. He orchestrated a virgin pregnancy, sent angels to celebrate Jesus’s birth, and resurrected Jesus from the grave. It was through Jesus that we see him most at work, healing and teaching others. Yes, there is still a bit of that brutality when we read of Ananias, Sapphira and Herod, but mostly there is talk of love, peace, helping the poor and modelling ourselves after Jesus Christ.
When I close my Bible and listen to Christian teachers of today, I see a God that has completely shed his brutal ways. He doesn’t produce earthquakes anymore; instead he comforts those that suffer from them. He no longer kills people nor urges people to kill others; instead he advocates for open communication and helping others regardless of religion.
His activity has slowed down, too. He doesn’t make bold displays of power. Today he works in a more subtle way, orchestrating events to answer a certain prayer or putting something in our paths to challenge us and make us grow.
I think of God today mostly as a psychologist. He’s a sounding board — always there to listen to the challenges that life has thrown at us. Occasionally he answers through scripture or through a still small voice in our head. He is there to guide us through this always unpredictable life.
Has God gotten soft in his old age? I think yes. Or maybe it would be better to say that our view of God has softened.
At first we viewed him as a young man, headstrong, wilful and rough. As he aged, he became more understanding of others, and began to cherish the traits of peacefulness, acceptance and love. Now as an old man he listens and makes subtle changes in the world so our lives can be better.
This is a God that I can relate to. I do have concerns about that “same yesterday, today and forever” idea, but, for now, I’m embracing this gentle version of God.
Paul K. Scott is a cartographer who enjoys discussing and reading about spirituality in his spare time. He has a degree in theology and lives in Victoria.
This article was published on Faith Forum in the print and online editions HERE
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