Jesus, Willie, and God

“God is completely what we are partially.”  What in the world does that mean?  I should have some clue by now?  I’ve been working with the idea since I was first introduced to Jesus in Mrs. DeGroat’s first-grade Sunday school class.  She introduced Jesus to me as the son of God and the one person in all the world who loves everyone just like his Father in heaven loves everyone.  She told us the story of Zaccheaus, who climbed a sycamore tree in order to get a glimpse of Jesus.  She told us Jesus was aware of Zaccheaus (that wee little man up there in the tree) even though Jesus was surrounded by a crowd of people.  She said Jesus knew Zaccheaus, called him by name, cared about him, and had a purpose for him.  

What I heard Mrs. DeGroat telling me was that Jesus was like my neighbor, Willie, who operated the garage next door.  Willie was really special.  He was always aware of me and he knew me in ways no one else did.  He was an adult and I was but a child, but Willie always made me feel important. He called me by a special nickname that he gave me himself.  Yes, Jesus was like Willie, because Willie cared for me and was always encouraging me to do special things.

All along my life journey I have encountered people like Willie, like the “Jesus” Mrs. DeGroat shared with me.  I have called these persons (who were aware of me, cared for me, knew me, made me feel important, called me out of myself, and encouraged me) my “Star Persons.”  I have come to believe that these Star Persons were partially what God is completely—A PERSON.

It is absurd to think of God as a “Life Force,” or as “Love,” “or as “cosmic energy,” or as the “Moral Law.”  If God does not have the same powers as the “greatest” of creatures (the human person) I’m not much interested in God.  If God is not a Person (God may be more than a Person and probably is) like Jesus and Willie and cannot be aware, or know, or care, or call, or encourage me, such a god would then be inferior to me, to Willie,  and  to Jesus!  God is completely what we are partially.

Tell the story:  each individual person is
 an unconditional object of divine Concern.