Who Is God

                                                    Who is God?     -      Part One of Three Parts

Eileen Renders

   Throughout my childhood, and into my young adulthood, I was always taught about God as in the male gender. God did this, and then He, or His mother, and such. I surely do not know how I might have related to God as a child without seeing Him pictured as male or female. And today because I have related to “Him” for so many years as masculine, I have a problem now attempting to understand that God is without gender. As I write this article in an attempt to explain how we might visualize God, I am relying on our Catholic Bible for spiritual guidance.

   Therefore, I want to begin by sharing what is written in our bible and accept with faith that which I cannot comprehend. In the Catholic Bible, God is often described as transcending human characteristics such as gender. God is a supreme being who embodies the spiritual essence and creator of the universe. This aligns with our belief that God’s nature is beyond human understanding or categorization. And that is why we find references stating that God is neither man nor woman. Another way of expressing the infinite nature of God. 

Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This verse affirms that in the spiritual realm of faith, human distinctions do not define one’s relationship with the divine.

   Jesus desires that we follow Him, serve Him, and become deeper in our relationship with Him.

John 14:20: In the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition of the Bible, John 14:20; “In that day you will know that I AM in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”

   How do we as imperfect humans, hope to find our way, and follow the path that leads us to that moment when we know that He is in us, and we are in Him? Although Jesus did not say in these words “My way is not an easy way”, we can refer to the following Verse;

Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus speaks of the narrow gate and difficult path that leads to life, suggesting following Him requires commitment and may not be easy.  Additionally, in

Matthew 11:29-30, Jesus invites people to take His yoke upon them, stating that His yoke is easy and His burden light, which implies that while His way is manageable and offers rest, it is still a yoke that requires bearing. Many passages in the teachings of Jesus suggest that His teachings involve challenges but also promise spiritual rest and support.

   How can we reach that level of intimacy with Christ, and what is the way?

These Steps and Suggestions will be covered and described in Part Two to follow