Seeing God

In Confessions both Augustine and his mother get some kind of word from God. His mother saw a young man in her dream, and Augustin heard the voice of a child telling him to read the word of God.

I was talking the other day about how my friends viewed God. One of my friends [someone in this class, although I won't mention who.. ")] said that since seeing Bruce Almighty he occasionally sees God with the face of Morgan Freeman.... I do not know that I would be able to take my prayer life seriously if I saw Morgan Freeman, but to each his own.

For me trees have always been a thing of beauty and strength. When I feel defeated or upset and need an escape sometimes I see myself as a little girl curling up under a tree for comfort and shelter. Sometimes I see God as a figure like my dad, giving me a hug when I need one.

I think everyone has a different view of God... and I'd love to hear what some other people picture.

But I think this ties in very well with the iconography we discussed in class today. Sometimes I draw these images as an expression of how I feel, and as I draw I pray. I don't just see a comforting image, but I see myself running to God. Even if I don't want to think about the circumstances in my life I have to deal with them, and I can deal with them by going to God for help. I think images like that, of God and of Biblical scenes, can be an expression by the artist and a reflection of the viewer's own thoughts. Sometimes when you see images portraying God (like Morgan Freeman) it can put a face to the God you're talking to.