In my daily prayers, one of the helps I have is a little book by Eugene Peterson called “Praying with Jesus” It’s a year of short readings going through Matthew’s Gospel and then John’s Gospel.
Today was from John chapter 1 – in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him.
The poetic language of the start of John’s Gospel is beautiful. It mirrors the start of Genesis – in the beginning when God created the heavens and the Earth … God said, let there be light.
God speaks and things happen. It reminds me of a talk by theologian Pete Rollins when he suggested that we think of God not so much as a divine being, but a divine doing. (That’s my take on what he said). Actually what Pete Rollins said was ‘God does exist, so much as insist’
So that means that God is a doing word. Maybe that’s what God was trying to say to Moses when he said “tell them that I AM WHO I AM has sent you.”
Which in turn reminds of the song by Massive Attack:
Love, love is a verb
Love is a doing word
Fearless on my breath
Gentle impulsion
Shakes me, makes me lighter
Fearless on my breath
Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath
Night, night after day
Black flowers blossom
Fearless on my breath
Black flowers blossom
Fearless on my breath
Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my…
Water is my eye
Most faithful mirror
Fearless on my breath
Teardrop on the fire
Of a confession
Fearless on my breath
Most faithful mirror
Fearless on my breath
Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath
You’re stumbling a little
You’re stumbling a little
There’s a much fuller treatment of the ‘God does not exist’ thread here:
https://wholegospel.wordpress.com/2017/04/04/god-does-not-exist/
Grace and Peace.
Five Short Words 