I have come to believe that God does not drive, he leads. He does not demand, he invites. He does not scream, he whispers. He does not overwhelm, but comes to us incognito, offering us opaque incarnations which leave room for mystery, questions, uncertainty, and even doubt.
Comedian Woody Allen has said, "I would believe in God, if he would just show me a sign, like, I don't know, maybe depositing a large amount of money in a Swiss bank in my name."
Why doesn’t God just reveal himself completely? Because God loves us, and love requires a choice. If God were to make himself obvious, their would be no room for choice, love, faith, or trust. As C.S. Lewis said, “What good is it to say you choose to lie down, only after it has become impossible to stand up?”
Maybe this is why Jesus told the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (Or among you, or in your midst).”
When Jesus said to Nicodemus, “….No one can see (or enter) the kingdom of God unless they are born again,” I don’t think, as many seem to, that he was explaining the way to get to heaven. In fact, he tells Nicodemus that he is not speaking about heaven things at all, but about earthly things.
I think he is telling Nicodemus, and us, that unless there is a rebirth (a re-orientation to life itself) deep within the human spirit, the kingdom of God will be right in front of us, and we will not even see it, much less enter it.
God comes to us in creation, human flesh, and the written or spoken word. He will come to us in moments of joy or sorrow. He will come in love expressed, or community tasted. He will come in a fleeting thought, a faint echo of a memory, or the deep silence of solitude.
If our hearts are open and and our spirits willing, we may hear God’s whisper, calling us into the kingdom of God which is within us, among us, and in our midst. If not, then like the people long ago, we will hear God speak, and say it only thundered.
Could it be— not a ? In the simple thoughts of the one remaining, I would not have wanted to miss one moment of what the coming days bring my way.… ‘ not my way, but your’s O Lord. ‘
I love his whisper.