Buechner: A vision of the God of Love
“One summer day I lay upon the grass. I'd sinned.. and in sin's wake there came a kind of drowsy peace so deep I hadn't even will enough to loathe myself…
A light breeze blew from Wear that tossed the trees, and they formed a face of shadows and of leaves. It was a man's green, leafy face.,,. No sound came from his lips, but by their shape I knew it was my name.
His was the holiest face I ever saw. My very name turned holy on his tongue.. When I deserved it least, God gave me most.” Frederick Buechner, Godric, The Frederick Buechner Center, Frederick Buechner Quote of the Day.
This is the God of my understanding and the God I hope to introduce to spiritual friends I meet. I so want to share Buechner’s dream with those who cannot forgive themselves for wrongs they have done. There are always consequences, but the God of my understanding is there beside me as I come to the realization of what I have done. This God of my understanding walks with us, is there to give us all the love we need to have to be able to forgive ourselves and ask for forgiveness from those we have harmed. This is the God who stays with us and helps us make living amends, having an awareness that our calling is to bring love not hate or hurt into the world, trying to make a difference in the lives or others instead of bringing harm and disaster.
A good test to use when we are trying to make a decision or being in discernment about an issue is to talk with others and ask, “Will this decision harm others?”
Sometimes someone will be harmed no matter what we will do. Then the decision is how to care for those who may be harmed. We also need to know we are never alone. If we are open, there is a guide, the Holy Spirit, doing even better work than we can ever imagine.
This is where I often get into trouble. There is that voice that could not possibly be from God telling me that I am the only one who cares about this issue, the only one involved, the only one who can make a difference. Oh, dear. Big trouble, but this voice is such a sweet voice. It sounds like my voice.
Photography by Joanna ES Campbell
Joanna joannaseibert.com