The Gaze of God

I ran across this passage from Richard Rohr in my reading this morning

I always mark my books

I underline, and once in a while will write a comment in the margins....

This morning my comment was simply, "Wow!"

Rohr was talking about "I-Thou" relationships

and suggesting that if we have an "I-Thou" relationship

one in which we are both present

and both who we really are

with God

That God becomes our mirror

For, Rohr suggests, we see ourselves most clearly

when we see ourselves reflected in the people with whom we are intimate

Then Rohr makes this comment

 

"Like any true mirror, the gaze of God receives us exactly as we are, without judgement or distortion,

subtraction or addition.  Such perfect receiving is what transforms us.  Being totally received

as we truly are is what we wait and long for all our lives.  All we can do is receive and return the

loving gaze of God......"

For some reason this strikes a deep chord in my soul

the idea that God receives me, totally

all of me

the parts I like

the parts I don't

God receives me all

and loves me anyway

I have gone through life feeling

believing

that if people knew who I really was...

if they knew what hung about

in the dark corners of my being

that they would look on me with disgusts

or at the very least disappointment

and not receive me

But the mirror that is God 

reflects me back

all of me, even those dark corners

God reflects me back truly

But that "me" is still loved

accepted

forgiven

empowered...

As Rob Bells suggests,

God loves us, and there is nothing we can do about that!

And that changes everything