Monday 29 July 2019

Why does God smile or frown, when we turn to him?

I look at IT, and then IT looks at me with 'that' smile... It seems to be able to smile on everything, whatever it is. How can it do that unless everything, whatever it is, is something to be glad about?... 'I only smile like this because I know that everything that is happening is in place of nothing happening. I want you to smile on Me as I smile on you'. From William Arkle

We sometime turn from our worldly living, and turn to God - what then do we 'see'? Does God smile upon us with joy, or does he frown ? Well, that depends...

God is creating reality, and God is our Father. He looks upon us with love, because we are his children. Knowing this; when we turn to God, we see him smile.

We may suppose that God is smiling with that loving joy of a father who is always watching his young children playing; and then one of the children turns to look for his Daddy - and of course his Daddy is smiling!

When God's children are cringing with fear of a wrathful God, when they believe the creator to be a hypersensitive tyrant that demands incessant servile submission... Well, when such a child turns towards such a God, he does not see a smiling father; but the frowning countenance of a cruel, oppressive despot.

Imagine being our God, and perceiving that so many of his children regard him as a despot, a slave-master! A loving father does not want his children to be turning towards him in terror, submission, propitiation; cringing with gratitude at being spared the lash.

We need to be clear: is our God to be the loving Father, who hopes for our love in return? Or is God essentially a ruler who wants obedience; whose love is conditional on devoted service? 

A child who trusts in his divine father's love will turn and see his father smiling; the child who is convinced that God is primarily a King or Dictator will surely see him frowning.

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