The Many Emotions of God

                                       The Many Emotions of God 

Eileen Renders

   As a curious individual, I have often wondered whether God has felt various feelings that might be similar to our earthly feelings. Has He ever felt regret, anger, or sorrow? We are sure that He feels love for us. Yet being divine in nature with the ability to change all things to be compatible with His wishes, could that bypass such feelings of sadness and disappointment?

   To open the window of opportunity to understand our creator, let us look at a few of what the disciples have written in the Bible as their responsibility was to teach and evangelize us, their descendants.

   For Example: Genesis 6:6 “The LORD, deeply regretted He made human beings on the Earth, and He was deeply troubled.

Psalm 78:40 ~ This verse reflects on the Israelites’ relationship with God during their journey through the wilderness. “How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!”

   These passages are only a few of many documented in the Catholic Bible, and indeed confirm that God has feelings of anger, hurt, isolation, love, and empathy. Contemplating these verses helps us to realize how when we sin, and ignore God, it is we who are driving another nail into Jesus on the Cross.

Matthew 21:12-13 – “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all the Merchants buying and selling there. He overturned tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” He said to them, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.” This event is commonly referred to as the “Cleansing of the Temple.”  And this event brings to mind that we are called to make a Temple for Christ in our body, mind, heart, and souls. This requires us to sin no more. Cleanse our souls of sin, and sin no more.

63:10 “But they rebelled against His Holy Spirit, therefore, He Himself fought against them.”

John 11:35: This is the shortest verse in the Bible, simply stating, “Jesus wept.” This moment of sorrow was in response to the death of Lazarus, showing Jesus’ compassion and empathy for the suffering of others.

Luke 19:41: As Jesus approached Jerusalem, he wept over the city, expressing His sadness over the future suffering and destruction that would come upon it.

   It is good for us to contemplate how God has emotions similar to our own. He feels joy in our empathy and joy for Him, and He is sad when we sin and avoid Him. He can become angry and is always merciful.