The
Catholic Weekly
Online
Sydney
11 January 2004
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Where
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Sparked
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Parish honours ‘linchpin’ of
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Maria finds family link in UK college
The day Br Nicholas dropped the pin
Where do teens see God?
By Kase Johnstun
Recently I interviewed a man who found Christ in trees. He would pass a branch that resembled the crucified Christ, arms sprawled and legs together. He painted the face of Christ on the branch and fastened him to a hand-made cross, never changing the original shape of the branch.
Fortunately, I have a good friend who teaches at a Catholic high school.
I presented the question to his senior religious education classes: Where
do
you see God? It would be great if all the responses could be printed, but
there isn’t enough space.
I picked some of my favourites. They are no better than the others, since
anywhere that you see God is great, but I had to pick a few.
I see God:
• “In the instinctive nature any mother has to care for her children.”
• “When I hear music; when I hear a killer bass line harmonising with an
influential guitar lead, kept in check by a complicated drumbeat.”
• “In the clouds as I fly over the point of the mountain at 3000 metres.” Or, “I see God over there!”
• “In every individual person, a
newborn first opening her eyes or a child taking its first step.”
• “In my everyday life. I see God in Mother Teresa, those she works closely
with and those they help.”
• “In rain, when I see the leaves change colours, when I see a bird flying.
I see God when someone laughs and the curve in his or her lip turns upward. I
see God when I am driving in the snow and when someone is singing in the car.”
• “In the faces of his angels. In the remembrance of those who have died
and the joyful times they had on earth.”
• “I see God in the sky. I see God in the trees. I see God in plants and
animals. I see God in me. I see God in my schoolwork. I see God in my strife.
I see God in my friends and family. But most of all I see God in my life.”
• “In football. I see God when I see 15 young men working together to achieve
a common goal, putting aside personal wants and needs in favour of the team.
In that moment, when every man is giving his all for the soul of the team, the
end becomes greater than the sum of its parts, making it something awesome to
watch.”
• “In acts of mercy and compassion.”
The man I mentioned at the outset saw Christ in a branch as he walked. He painted the new crucifix to fit the person to whom he would give his gift.
We are taught as Catholics that Mass is the centre of our faith. We do not believe that we should skip Mass to go fishing because we see God there, but as these students have shown, they do see God daily, with each breath and when they least expect it.
So, where do you see God?
Kase Johnstun is a columnist with the Catholic News Service