The theoblogger challenge

 Last week I was invited to participate in what is called the "Theoblogger Challenge" on the Patheos.com website. This is a new website for exploring the religions and spiritualities of the world. There were six of us who were invited to take part in this process and we were asked to respond to the question, 

Who/What is God" in 100 words or less

We could respond any way we wanted - poetry, prose or images - but it had to stay under 100 words. That was a tough task! My response is below which is also posted on the Patheos website:

When I am asked,
"Who/What is God?"
I no longer give long, complicated answers.
From what I have experienced
I have a simple answer;
God is Love.

The Creator God is Love
because God created
me,
you,
and all living things.
And it's all good.

The Redeeming God is Love
because God forgave our sins
through an ultimate act.

The Sustaining God is Love
for God watches,
guides,
strengthens,
and comforts us
all the time.

So you ask,
"Who/What is God?"
I would say --

God is Love.

The project was lots of fun and stretched me to be concise as opposed to lengthy. I hope you will also have the opportunity to check out the other responders:

Christine Valters Paintner, founder and director of Abbey of the Arts and a spiritual director based in Seattle, WA

Robb Harrell, a Lutheran pastor serving as a mission re-developer at St. Luke Church (www.storyofgod.org) in Atlanta, GA

Adam Walker Cleaveland, a Minister for Youth and Young Adults at Asbury United Methodist Church in Livermore, CA. His blog is Pomomusings

Jim Burklo, an ordained United Church of Christ pastor and the Associate Dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California. Jim's blog is Musings

Amy Julia Becker, a writer and a student at Princeton Theological Seminary. She blogs at Thin Places

Christine Sine, co-founder of Mustard Seed Associates, a network of followers of Jesus seeking to put God's purposes first in their lives

Thanks to my fellow University of Redlands Alumnus, Deborah Arca Moody, the Mainline Protestant portal manager for Patheos for inviting me to do this. I hope to participate again in the future!

Comments

[George W. Whitton]

Byron ... your post was "right on" !!!

[Byron Wade]

George - thanks!

[Debbie Davis]

Great way to sum it all up! It's all about the love - isn't it?

[SheRev]

Funny - - I think I participated (without invitation) on my own today. The Presbyterian's Today Lent devotional guide asked the question "When you think about God, what do you 'know in your bones' to be real about the Creator, about Jesus and about the Holy Spirit?" I "played" at my blog where I am working through this devotional daily during Lent. I gave my answer to the question (which fits the 100 word criteria), and then thought a little about how I did exactly what I critiqued (lovingly and mostly for fun) in the Westminster Catechism earlier this morning in a sermon. http://sherev.blogspot.com/2010/02/truth-about-god.html

[Byron Wade]

Debbie - yep, I think that love sums it all up ;-)

SheRev - how interesting! By the way I like your answer :-)