Last week my car conked out on the stretch of forest road between Blackwood and Greendale.

It was a lovely Spring morning and the time of waiting for road side assistance gave space to enjoy the new tiny wild flowers, the light in the trees and some pondering prayer space.It was also lovely to be offered help by at least 5 different people who stopped to ask if I was ok.

This unexpected and oddly gracious morning was topped off by great conversation in the tow truck home (the car really had conked).  The tow truck driver and I talked about all kinds of things; life, travel, work and then he asked me a little more about my work. In particular, how I responded to people’s age old question about ‘why there is suffering in the world if there is a God…?’

I responded by sharing a recent dawning revelation:  Most people’s image of God is actually Santa.  They have an image of God as some big, old guy in the sky, with a beard who will reward you if you are good, and punish you if you are bad;  ‘so you better watch out..’ as the song goes!

Therefore when terrible things happen, many people assume that they somehow have deserved it.  Or, they rightly reject such notions.  However in the process of rejecting this understanding people can reject the possibility of God at all.

This understanding of God is far from the Divine I experience. This is also light years from the God that Jesus reveals.  Jesus says the great Parent God loves all and cares for all regardless of what they have done: bringing rain on the just and the unjust… (Matthew 5:43-48).

The night after the car conked, I watched a Doctor Who Christmas Special from a few years ago; the one with the Titanic space ship (this episode was replayed recently on ABC 2).   In this episode I was delighted to see that this same observation was made.

Alien travelers about to visit earth as tourists, are given a ‘brief’ on the planet.  Their guide explains that the people of earth worship their god Santa who punishes those who are bad, and rewards those who are good.  The tourist aliens are understandably horrified by such barbaric belief, even as the Doctor tries to explain that this is not quite the case.

So I wonder, when you think of God – the God you believe in or the God you reject – what is this God like?  Is there a waft of the red suit… or is your image of God informed by the life giving, radically loving God that Jesus embodies…? …I am very happy to say the car is now back on the road.  Thanks go out to all those who offered to help.

Blessings on your journey as we travel towards Christmas – the ancient Christian celebration feast of God coming to us in Jesus…

Sal

Rev. Sally Douglas