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Today Prodigal Jon was talking in Stuff Christians Like about the images we present of God as being big, bad, and ugly.
My vision of God was of an angry, old man with powers beyond my understanding and punishment beyond my creativity. His favorite activities, beside Frisbee, were smiting people and striking people down where they stood for their transgressions. The only reason He wanted me near was so that I was close enough to hit with a big, holy hammer. He was forceful and ominous.
Jon’s understanding has changed over the years, thankfully. But he got me thinking about some of my early visions of the Almighty, and reminded me of the Lego God video presented below - a reminder that sometimes our images of God remain the stuff of childhood.
When I was six or so, I had this mental image of God as being a well-tanned guy with a turban on his head - sort of like an Indian snake charmer. He’d sit next to Jesus (who looked just like all those Polaroids I’d seen of Him in Sunday School) up in the sky and just look down on me with delight. “Oh Jesus,” He’d exclaim. “Look at little Andy!”
Hey, I said I was six.
Anyway, I was so impressed with how cool God was, I told Beth about it. Beth was a year or two older, and very smart. I said cheerfully, “You know, it seems like God’s like this magician or something.”
Beth looked at me very soberly and said, “You’re not supposed to make fun of God!”
Scared the hooey out of me. For a long time.
God hasn’t worn that turban since.
What about you? What images of God did you have as a kid? And how have those images changed over time?
Feel free to share whatever you like. Beth is nowhere to be found.
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Slightly OT.
I have to disagree with Beth. If God did not have a great since of humor I would have never been born.
For Lack of a better more “religious” description, I always thought of God as looking a lot like Gandalf the white in “The Lord of The Rings”.
Long Flowing white beard and “The EYE” you know, the on that mom always gave you when you knew you had done something wrong and she was trying to get it out of you.
kenSwitzer
Ken,
Thanks for the comment, and I love the image - reminds me a bit of Lego-God in the video. And Dang! That eye! I know exactly what you mean.