What Is God Like? A Trinity Sunday Reflection

What Is God's Name?

Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and Phoebe Stone wrote and illustrated a book with the title What Is God's Name? It has been printed in different formats and in a number of languages. I've always enjoyed that book, and seeing that it is Trinity Sunday, I might easily say, "What is God's name?" Easy. It's Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There you go. All finished. Job done.

But it isn't finished by saying that, is it?

What Is God Like?

I'm not going to read the book to you, apart from a few quotations, because I've changed my mind about what title the book should have. I reckon it should be called What Is God Like?

When we ask that question, people have to tell a little story to answer it — which is really what happens in the book. It begins with these words:

After God created the world, all living things were given a name, but no one knew the name for God, so each person looked for God's name.

• The farmer called God Source of Life.
• The man who tended sheep called God Shepherd.
• The exhausted soldier called God Maker of Peace.
• The woman who took care of sick people called God Healer.
• The young woman who nursed her baby called God Mother.
• The young man who held his baby's hand called God Father.
• And the child who was lonely called God Friend.

Our Own Stories of God

Can you hear what's happening? Each person tells a little story about what is important for them and what God is like for them. They're sharing their experience of God in their lives.

Perhaps people in your church could do that for each other today. You could ask each other, "What is God like for you?"

There's something else you might like to do as well. Take a little time later to look at the Bible passages that were read in church today and ask this question for each of them: What might we learn about what God is like from this passage of scripture?

A Shared Blessing

When we ask such questions of ourselves and others, we will find ourselves telling our very own stories of God. And when we do that, we both receive and give a blessing to each other.