November 20, 2017 Chapter 13 The Great Conversation

It seems as if McLaren is setting us for something today. As we close out part one of his book he is already preparing us for part 2. He tells us a little bit of the history of the Israelites, but more than that he takes us through how that history effects their understanding of their God. "As the people changed and evolved, their understanding of God changed and evolved." (page 57)

It seems that this is true for us collectively but it also needs to be true for us individually. I can remember as a child always believing that God was there to keep me in line, to make sure I would do the right thing. As I got older, I began to see God as this great power that caused me to feel wonder and awe. Today I see God as the "other" that I long for...that I desire to be with. Perhaps that is why my appreciation for Eucharistic Adoration has grown. I'm not sure who the Saint was but he/she was asked what they did in adoration and they replied something to the effect, "I look at Him and He looks at me, and we are both happy."

I believe that perhaps this is where McLaren is leading us as we move out of the first quarter of the book and into the second, which deals with the life of Jesus. We will see. But for me this was a good reflection on how I have seen God throughout the different times of my life. What about you? Has your understanding of God changed throughout your life?