Have you ever tried to personify God? Jesus? Or the Holy Spirit? Young did. God is an African American woman. Jesus is, well, a carpenter. And the Holy Spirit is an Asian woman who is somewhat see-through. I told you, it made me go "huh". For some people this is a turn off. They disown the book and say it's blasphemy. In a way, I guess it is. It makes the Trinity human yet it shows their incredible power and love. It's probably not how we pictured God, and the main character admits that. But our human minds are so limited and none of us have ever seen God face to face. So how do we know what God looks like? We make Him how we feel comfortable, how we best can relate. Each culture and each person has a different image of God. Honestly, when I read that God was a woman and has skin that is a different color than me, I laughed. How can God possibly look like that!? He's a Man. Or is He? What is God? Jesus was the human person of God. Is God a human? Does God look like us? Whoa. Back up. Someone tried to personify God? Yeah. He did. And it made me think about what I wanted God to be instead of what and whom God really is. I try to make God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit instead of letting Them be Them.
Even though The Trinity was made human and it appears that could be a problem, I feel that this allows us to feel comfortable with God. In the book, Young tries to relay the message that God wants a relationship with us. A Father/daughter, father/son relationship. One where this is open communication. A relationship where we can run to Him with our hurt, rejoice with Him, and always be in communion with Him. I have always prayed before I went to bed, prayed before meals, prayed when I'm hurt, prayed when I have something to praise Him for, prayed when I wanted something. I knew He was always with me, within me. But I had never full understood what it meant to fully live with God. Not when I wanted Him but when He wanted me, ALL THE TIME. The book reminded me that instead of having God on top of my priorities (i.e. God, family, friends...etc), God should be within my priorities. I cannot give God more of what I have. I can only give Him all of what I have and let Him be in it all. I cannot set aside most of my day for God, and He knows that it would be impossible for us. God should be in my ENTIRE day, with every move I make, every step I take.
Lastly, this book is about loss and hurt. The main character lost his daughter in a brutal murder. I cannot put into words how much this book emphasizes that God does not cause hurt, He allows and uses it for His glory. Our human minds cannot comprehend why a loving God would do something like this. Why would He allow bad things to happen to His people? I cannot answer that question nor could this book. But the book brings forth Light that can touch your soul and ease understanding that is unexplainable in words. God is good. All the time.
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