LXVI
A Little Less than Divine
(6/1)
You have made us holy and divine. (Psalm 8:5. Read Psalm 8 in its entirety.)
The Psalmist proclaims that humankind has been made “a little lower than God.” To me, given our track record of war, poverty, racism, hate, and alienation among friends and family, this seems a real stretch. Perhaps, we seem like the warring gods of the Norse or Greeks, but not the God of the Universe, the Parent of Jesus Christ. And yet…there is something divine in each of us. We can’t define the divine – for to do so is to exclude certain persons – but we can ponder those moments or characteristics most divine about us. Creativity, imagination, sacrifice, love, adventure, inventiveness…We are not alone in these characteristics. There are traces of divinity in all creation.
Quakers speak of “something of God” in each person and seeing this divinity in others and ourselves is our calling. Look beyond appearances to see the holy in yourself and others. Don’t think small when God has defined you as holy. Even in this pandemic and time of protest – and even in your personal life situation – you can expect greater things from yourself and seek to bring greatness forth from others.
Today, look in the mirror and affirm, “Behold, God is in and with me.” Look at others, whether in person or in the media, and affirm, “Behold, God is in you and in me.” See God in all God’s disguises, including those that are most “godless.” Pray for vision and pray that the divine within comes forth from all creation and every human sibling.
+++
Give me vision to see holiness in myself and let it come forth in acts of practical divinity. Give me vision to see holiness in others and support its birthing in creative and life-supporting ways. Let me be a midwife of holiness. Amen.
+++
Bruce Epperly is a Cape Cod pastor, preacher, and author of over 50 books, including FAITH IN A TIME OF PANDEMIC and GOD ONLINE: A MYSTIC’S GUIDE TO THE INTERNET
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In