Where is my God?

A number of my friends have made comment to me that it must be nice to return to places visited a long time ago and to bring back to mind the many memories evoked, Jim and another both made such remarks and others similar. It is indeed a wonderful thing to be able to do. Knowing my mind I am sure both of those friends and others are aware that my mind does strange things at the best of times and always seems to dwell not only on the. memories but the insights provoked.

The early church leader Augustine was once accosted by a heathen, ( his words not mine), who showed him his idol and said, "Here is my god; where is thine?" 

Augustine replied, "I cannot show you my God; not because there is no God to show but because you have no eyes to see Him.

I walked twelve miles yesterday in the sun and had plenty of time to contemplate the memories I have had. To both of the above-mentioned friends, I said in response to a comment that in that lies another tale.

Thinking of the Augustine quotation and the event of my early visit to the Sagrada Familia with some sixty-four young people from the school I taught in I have this marvellous thought and memory.

On the day I visited the Sagrada with those young people we alighted from the bus to take in the marvels of the building. Some of the students stood in awe and listened as we spoke of it, others slipped into the background.  When it came to board the bus for the onward part of the day I had to seek out a large group of missing students. Where did I find them? In the temple of McDonalds.

How had the found it? This I am not sure but find it they did. They were not interested in the wonderful sight before them they had other thoughts.

A bit like this young lad.

While my young  Douglas was looking at a full moon, he asked, "Mum, is God in the moon?" 

His mother explained that God is everywhere. "Is he in my tummy?" Douglas wanted to know. "Well, sort of," responded the mother, not sure where these questions were leading. 

Then Douglas declared, "God wants a banana." 

Our next port of call that day was the football ground of Barcelona. Here the students filed out in eagerness and into the stadium. Here they looked in awe as the worshipped the god football. 

I mentioned this memory to my wife. She said, "A bit like yourself then on holiday where you worship the god Wifi." I could not help not smile.

There is a measure of truth. I seek out camping sites with wifi, I am always happy to see the sign Wifi zone.  And there I worship at her the god wifi.

How easily we create our gods and allow them to captivate our time and energy. At which shrine do we bow and worship. Where is thy god? 

Have a wonderful day. The painting above was of a flower I saw growing through a hedge by the side of the road.