Why God is Giddy

Last updated on: July 17, 2013 at 3:38 pm by Suzanne Ross

Why God is Giddy 2013-07-17T15:38:39-05:00 Suzanne Ross

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

After three years of working with James Alison to put his introduction to Christianity for adults into video format, we launched Jesus, the Forgiving Victim: Listening for the Unheard Voice, in June 2013. As part of our development of the course, last fall we invited folks to beta test it for us. Over 65 people signed up for four retreats around the country and at the time I was feeling giddy, joyful, humbled, insecure, confident, panicked – oh, yes, I felt it all!

As I reflect on my experiences after those retreats, I find myself once again on the receiving end of something that’s hard to explain, though it is becoming more and more familiar to me. My experience of reading James Alison’s books and then spending the last 3 years filming and editing video of him delivering his course, is one of finding my sense of myself and my faith shifting into a more relaxed and joyful mode. Does that make any sense? I am finding myself sifted by God as I allow myself to trust what James keeps saying in one way or another in everything he does: that God not only loves us, but likes us. That means me, too. Honestly, that is tough for me to swallow because I guess I know myself too well. I am not, in my secret heart, all that nice a person and yet the relentless hum of James’ voice in my head is, happily, wearing me down.

At the retreats James used the parable of the hidden treasure to explain this idea of God liking us. Remember that parable? It’s Matthew 13:44:

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

James told us that this is a parable of how much delight God takes in us. We are the treasure! The man represents God who “in his joy” acts a bit irrationally! He finds us, his treasure, then hides us again, then sells everything and buys the field where he knows he can find us. What a great portrayal of being beside oneself with joy! And the amazing thing is that we are the ones who make God so giddy he loses his head. As James described the scene of God going a little nuts over me, I felt my heart soften a bit toward myself. For a brief, giddy moment, I thought – maybe it’s true. Maybe God does like me, warts and all. Or as one of the retreat participants said, “Is it possible that the Good News is really this good?” I think so – I think it really is possible. The Forgiving Victim course is a journey of discovering the possibility for yourself, of living into the reality of being liked more than we know. It’s a great, wild, and wonderful journey to be on and I find my heart brimming with gratitude for the time I spent in Portland, Philadelphia, Chicago and Houston. Between a giddy God, a persistent teacher like James, and the growing Forgiving Victim community, my own self-critical voice is getting harder to hear, more difficult to believe in. And here’s the really good news: if I am a treasure, then so are you. How great is that!

Previous Post

July 8, 2013

Welcome To Teaching Nonviolent Atonement

Next Post

July 25, 2013 Sermon: The Trinity and God's Nonviolent Atonement

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Atonement and Current Events Curriculum Faith and Families Interviews Jesus the Forgiving Victim Lent Montessori politics Reviews The Bible Explained Uncategorized Valentine's Day Wednesday Sermon Who is God?

Select a Month July 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 January 2014 December 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz