How does someone experience God? How does it happen? When does it happen? How will you notice? How will you know?

When you are little it is so easy. God is up in heaven, up in the sky with the angels. Underneath our feet is hell with the devil. When you die your soul (whatever that is, you don't get it, but you know that is the word to use) either goes up or down. That's it. Up or Down. Good people go up (so say your prayers & go to church & be good) and Bad people go down (so no lies, no stealing, & don't miss church). Easy peasy.

& if only it could stay that way.

But too soon you grow up. Toys are put away, days playing outside are long forgotten, cartoons lose their appeal, and expectations are everywhere. Church is no longer songs and games and crafts and happily running around and dancing in the aisles.

Too soon you grow up. You learn the sky turns into space and stars and planets. The ground is only a series of layers. Crust, core, and magma. It is infinitesimally harder to distinguish who is a Good Person and who is a Bad Person? Who decides what is Good and what is Bad? Fingers, toes, and eyes become actions, exploits, and deeds.


Life & Faith & God become a series of Leaps. They have to. Is a leaf always a leaf or is it more? Is it the wonderment of a miracle realized? Or is it cells brought together and photosynthesis and a carbon based vegetation? Is it both--it is all the realization of the Divine's Actions on the 3rd day? Is that a cop-out? The birth of a child is a leap as well. How can cells come together to make a real live breathing growing learning beautiful baby? The prophet Jeremiah is told by God "before I formed you in the womb I knew you." Another leap. Being known before conception, how is that possible? Leap upon Leap.

I could list dozens and dozens of ways that we experience God and see God and know God, but in essence, they are all leaps.

crisp paper. blue pens. ice skates in winter. babies laughing. sun shining. carefully made beds. lemon fresh. a good laugh. prayers offered. warm baths. runs by the river. gooey grilled cheese sandwiches. snuggles in bed. hymns of praise.

But you can see that it's easiest to only see God in the Good, warm, happy ways. Easy leaps. Ways we went to see the Divine.

Our list would never as follows:

knives brandished. money stolen. children forgotten. storm clouds. food bank line-ups. jobs cut. tears cried. backs turned. ashes where trees once stood. shouting matches. occupied hospital beds. soldiers killed. soldiers killing. child soldiers. cheques bounces. shoes with holes.

Where is the holy in those instances?

It's hard work experiencing God when it's not all rainbows and lollipops. Does God come after? Is God in the hands that help a woman after she is raped? Is God in the gifts from strangers when a house is destroyed by fire? Is God in the kinds words spoken when a father dies? Is God in the medicine given to stop illness? Is God in apologies? Reparations? Restorative Justice?

Is God only a leap of faith in a recovery program?