At our final profession as Secular Franciscans, the psalm respond was to ‘seek the face of the Lord’. To seek the face of God is not a simple scanning of those present in a large gathering. It requires us to enter into the mystery we call God, with an openness and willingness to let go of our preconceived ideas and to be open to experience the Divine Spirit.
For me it is letting go of theology, of phrases of terminology and head debates. To focus on what I feel and experience. I think the heart responds to an inner calling, a stirring of the Spirit. We respond with awe and maybe a form of worship, a simple thank you to the universe. The starting point has to be the lived religious experience, whether that has its origin in nature, in relationships or the arts.
Theology, and the doctrines and creeds are the result of lived experience. Although when we try to put the divine interaction into words, theology can help us to make sense of lived experience. To make sense out of religious or sacred experience, people often try to simplify complex thoughts, and the result is not always desirable.
‘Seek my face’ is a complex undertaking. Where do we start? What does it look like?
The God out there, the God we are encouraged to have a relationship with, is markedly different from the Divine spark within me. The psalmist writes: ”God dwells in heaven”. Having a relationship with God or Jesus (depending on your understanding), are words that roll easily off our tongue, but what does it mean?
Some people say God is within us, or God is among us. Others say we live in God, and there is nothing outside God. I believe all of these are true. I also think that the journey to God is an inward journey, where we get to know ourselves and God. Meister Eckhart told us ‘the best way to find God is to look within ourselves’.
Recently I came across an article by Karen Kelly, on the three faces of God. I have listed them here:
- God as the ground of our Being, the first face. The God within us. We are the light of the world; God is as close as our hands and feet.
- God is immanent, the second face. You are always with us. We pray to you.
- The Infinite, third face. God in which we live and move and have our being.
Some mysteries need to be lived and explored rather than solved. I suppose it depends on our circumstances how we relate to these perspectives. I find it easier to relate to the first and third face/image of God. It is the second face, who do I pray to, that is the challenge, and the face I still seek. It is a face that has changed over time, and it is this face or aspect of God that creates the most discussion and diversity in our time.
The doctrine of the Trinity makes the God we pray to, more complex and confusing. The three faces of God and the three masks of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit or Creator, Redeemer and Giver of Life) makes for interesting and soul-searching discussions. Some would argue that the three masks of the Trinity are the same as the three faces of God, as Kelly describes.
I think they are different.
What do you think?
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. - Gautama Buddha
Yes different The Trinity is the wholeness of God The face of God is seen as we live as Christ I like Karen's description and yes the second is the hardest The God to whom we pray is sometimes difficult to find and focus on in our times of communicating with him He /she is elusive but is always so much of who we are
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